Visit to the Buen Viaje Church in Santa Clara, Cuba! [EN-ES]

Hello #hive world travelers! Summer is coming to an end in Cuba today, and it's Sunday, the perfect time to get out of the house and brush off the dust in search of excitement and let your mind wander freely.  One of those roads in my city, a must-see if we're trying to get to the city center, leads us to the Church of Our Lady of the Good Journey, an iconic religious complex that also houses the facilities of the bishopric of the central region of Cuba. ||||||| |-|-|-|-|-|-| Remembering that today marks the end of the challenge proposed by @worldmappin, I decided to enter the church and bring you part of its interior and the history it houses. This church in particular has always caught my attention due to various interesting features that stand out when one delves into the evolution it has undergone over time. Located on what was the first street in the town when it was founded, it is actually the third church to be built, specifically between 1713 and 1719, with continuous renovations until, approximately around 1925, the ecclesiastical appearance was finalized with that unique design that blends architectural elements of Gothic, Romanesque and Neoclassical styles. I would like to highlight the interesting fact that this first street, which everyone now calls *Calle Buen Viaje*, was originally called *Calle de los Crímenes*. And look how the years have evolved, giving us this architectural gem with its illustrious bell tower, as if it were the guardian of each of our journeys. ||||| |-|-|-|-| Another peculiarity of this place is that it pays permanent tribute to the Virgin of Buenviaje, whose image was brought by the founders of the town and has been perpetuated for the benefit of its believers.   Although this church, in its overall magnitude, stands out for not displaying an excess of dazzling or ostentatious details, something I admire about it, it is pleasant to appreciate the beauty of its designs in the carpentry and decorations that stand out due to the state of conservation of the wood (mostly cedar and mahogany) that exceeds a century of existence. ||||||| |-|-|-|-|-|-| ||||||| |-|-|-|-|-|-| ||||||| |-|-|-|-|-|-| |||||||| |-|-|-|-|-|-|-| I'd like to think it's a coincidence, and I'm enjoying it in my contemplation right now. However, being a seemingly humble church, the parishioners one normally finds here are, for the most part, from families not exactly of high purchasing power, but devoted to each of the saints depicted here. It's common, any day of the week, not just on Mass days, to see several people performing their ceremonies or intimate religious encounters with any of these images of saints in complete peace. So, before continuing on my way, I'll conclude this post and prepare to sit for a moment to meditate in silence before the altar. Until a safe journey, I bid you farewell, with a hug of light!

¡Hola viajeros del mundo de #hive! Ya hoy finaliza el verano en Cuba y es domingo, ideal para salir de casa y quitarle el polvo al camino en busca de emociones y dejar volar a la mente con plena libertad.  Uno de esos caminos de mi ciudad, de imprescindible tránsito si de llegarnos al centro urbano se trata, nos hace tropezar con la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje, complejo religioso icónico que alberga también las instalaciones correspondientes al obispado de la región central de Cuba. |||| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmTm25v47956ZkZrp45ptkJmQ7m9dxtr62TLbDURdooARe/whatsapp_image_2025_08_04_at_01.42.16_1_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmQuZVZ9YRfXXqFHGJhyfJhhcuiRvrHbyvYkrHazj9do9F/whatsapp_image_2025_08_04_at_01.42.15.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmXsbVuJKYrzB9R2WZ7oMz4MLNMpWXi7uk9dezS9VrjuwF/whatsapp_image_2025_08_04_at_01.42.14.jpeg)| |-|-|-|-|-|-| Recordando que hoy cierra el desafío que nos propone @worldmappin decidí entrar a la iglesia y así llevarles a ustedes parte del interior y de la historia que alberga. En lo particular, esta iglesia, siempre me ha llamado la atención por diversas curiosidades que resaltan a la vista cuando uno se adentra en la evolución que ha llevado consigo a través del tiempo. Estando enclavada en la que fuese la primera calle de la villa en su fundación, resulta realmente la tercera iglesia en construirse, específicamente entre los años 1713 y 1719 y con continuas remodelaciones hasta que, aproximadamente sobre 1925 se concreta la visualidad eclesiástica con ese diseño singular que mezcla elementos arquitectónicos de estilo gótico, románico y neoclásico. Destaco la curiosidad de que esta primera calle, que hoy todos llaman *Calle Buen Viaje*, en sus inicios tenía el nombre de *Calle de los Crímenes*. Y vean cómo evolucionó el tiempo que nos regaló esta joya arquitectónica con su campanario ilustre cual si fuese guardián de los viajes de cada uno de nosotros. | (https://images.ecency.com/DQmcMk3nBcvsfQo43XcrEn9jwRj9G8KrkgWhuoeApT4XNtS/whatsapp_image_2025_03_03_at_15.15.11.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmXo6EzWaNP8tWnzVXuGt1jieu1nzASs73x4T7sHC9xh9W/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.39.00.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmZ1kkbNzSXMfeTccSXSC53JDpyDFZPxg8o8mLpcTip88M/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.13_2_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmfLRXwurFkvweXYadgkonVtRt6XVoYwmt7D44yEnkHa49/whatsapp_image_2025_03_03_at_15.15.10.jpeg)| |-|-|-|-| Otra de las peculiaridades que comprende este lugar, es que acá se venera permanente tributo a la Vírgen de Buenviaje, cuya imagen fue traída por los fundadores de la Villa y que se ha perpetuado para beneplácito de los creyentes en ella. (https://images.ecency.com/DQmVbmcS7M77TeNejipy93PtCnvTErDWHQSNR4NDdhApUaj/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.15_1_.jpeg) (https://images.ecency.com/DQmTiJMmwhu41DpuQXNgeTyiqACvD5m7q5Uc6FHNsGnxjo7/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.15.jpeg) Si bien esta Iglesia, en su magnitud general destaca por no mostrar un exceso de detalles deslumbrantes u ostentosos, algo que admiro en ello, resulta agradable apreciar lo hermoso de sus diseños en la carpintería y decorados que resaltan por el estado de conservación de la madera (cedro y caoba mayoritariamente) que sobrepasa el siglo de existencia. | (https://images.ecency.com/DQmaTvkWAgGc2YrKcZBwTk3mK9xRwB2vVLh7E2ayTrFtBsq/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.08_2_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmaEX8wtFpEiPyHcuossffWZaJU6MK1BewxZMowWz8tpnc/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.10_1_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmTHjYhUcbEAieaoM8uAArFB3nujutqDmKiPghriuL88KF/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.10_3_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmSrfKtuhZjDNBwNUtfQfhJVX1h7grvtd5WWgdpNeaPNbn/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.10.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmNVBqrBDCohQpodnyaZP7T2gz6LkVgNJBvXDpYtRvwnLG/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.11_2_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmZRTAcU9qUShbYBDMGkm9p1g8HLag3PzPLPYe3KH4dJg9/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.11.jpeg)| |-|-|-|-|-|-| | (https://images.ecency.com/DQmNmZzny4cb5hzi8x3iFyUFvMj3WEz4ByqJTaiGb1hcuow/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.12_1_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmXMtmXAkEAMZgjPmnjCs5RsgknSacqdfapTck86QjJ5nD/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.12.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmZJymefJQxvhJtwFct6F1s5k9ovDjZAorK7GqU2o9zLLm/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.13_3_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmT22nco3LSsnoz78rcEAt9QJn17qKZAVB1cYsnqaFQ478/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.13.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmXxJdDZaFwSC4MF5gjpymJr6gawrEUHrQJRYmUMrpAmE1/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.14_1_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmbZiVANe5GujbUFZM4QnE9fMkpVSpXg7rkqjFgDLXTnnC/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.14_2_.jpeg)| |-|-|-|-|-|-| | (https://images.ecency.com/DQmYRyPVjqswFRPDPxFcvWKPBKAKdg8C7MxJfgbeBEv2SQv/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.14.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmXMtmXAkEAMZgjPmnjCs5RsgknSacqdfapTck86QjJ5nD/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.12.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmWse7hVoGAAYiZc66cc61pTmBdBNPC9RH9g6rhdsa2GeK/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.16_3_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmUMKZ4UmtnUPzLhNtsn35N9MfVfKJR8C1dtUdpcimH9Uu/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.16.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmQL4N12NzuGuHneDNo2ZwT9ip1zjXTmkTcigoGLeNECsj/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.17.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmP4ZfzXCKDREXuGpDBTQ3GXHbDK1pnn4VpXJFGaE9G8xW/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.18_1_.jpeg)| |-|-|-|-|-|-| | (https://images.ecency.com/DQmQky26wVZqsFDBERQEhq1XoAqJeb4pGFM6fvxRDTvSpza/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.18_2_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmP1qbW99PQmS4nMEHsvLyyRiiK4ZgXuDbivxEimKew519/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.18.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQma9m9k88rNtSFhMgCLi8jr3kjAGt6TQ5EMcqpetvaELjz/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.19_1_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmbdnA8Wdy2zwXNtDxpzDp4jq3peMDks1ckvXXx9PHH7yo/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.19_3_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmc49esB3WSUjPezZfsDPMtURWax3NBc49YY9rGaYdDLFp/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.19_2_.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmUAng3dAW4iJX8GyUhkP92f4LgPKAcPrg8qV7Z2NAkx4x/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.19.jpeg)| (https://images.ecency.com/DQmQ6zqGUrpCtb1oMuEufmgw6jQ6krKS8e8TP8uEMVKMfYJ/whatsapp_image_2025_02_09_at_14.40.20.jpeg)| |-|-|-|-|-|-|-| Quiero pensar es causal y así lo disfruto en mi contemplación ahora mismo, pero, al ser una iglesia aparentemente humilde, los feligreses que normalmente uno encuentra acá se corresponden precisamente, en su mayoría, con familias no precisamente de alto poder adquisitivo, pero sí devotas de cada uno de los santos que acá se muestran. Es común, cualquier día de la semana, no solamente en días de misas, ver a varias personas realizando sus ceremonias o encuentros íntimos religiosos con cualquiera de estas imágenes de santos en plena paz. Aprovecho entonces, y antes de continuar mi camino, concluyo esta publicación y me dispongo a sentarme un rato para meditar en silencio ante el altar. Hasta un próximo buen viaje, me despido de ustedes, ¡con un abrazo de luz!