Museum "Quinta Simoni" of Camagüey: national monument

Image of the Amalia Simoni`s House today Museum Quinta Simoni. Toward the ends of the year 1848, in outlying areas of the old village of Santa María del Puerto del príncipe current city of Camagüey - an agreement construction was lifted with the wealthy doctor's indications Ramón Simoni, one of the devote and respected children in the territory. The House Quinta was called “Tínima”, to cross the river with that name, a section of the land.

The housing obeyed the constructive dictations of the time in its two plants, as the solid structure and the simplicity in its forms, together to a firm work in the carpentry of doors, windows, grills and balustrades in general.

The doctor Simoni transferred until that place to its daughter Amalia, when she was 6 years of age old. There her adolescence lapsed until the happy marriage with the lawyer Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz. Both resided in the place until the arrival-one month after the marriage - of the message that put on warning to the future boss mambí: it should become safe because the Spanish authorities would go in it search, given it connoted activities independentistas inside the village.

A RISKY TO TRAFFIC FOR THE TIME

The peninsular authority tried to erase the existence of the house Quinta “Tínima”-where the example of formidable nobilities beat - once abandoned by the family Simoni, in that mandatory exile. It was depredated and practically satiny. Sold and divided in parcels, the revolutionary victory of 1959 was transformed it into a quadroon (citadel), where inhabited 26 families. Of the original splendor were only the chronicles and some pictures.

The love of the man of Camagüey for its patrimony, took to the rescue of that property, subjected to a restoring work that used the materials advised by the most trustworthy respect to its original elements. A lot of professionalism and thoroughness were deposited in the tasks, until their opening like socio-cultural headquarters December 1st 1991, at times of the transfer of the remains of Amalia Simoni Argilagos toward her dear native city.

NATIONAL MONUMENT

Image of the interior yard of the Museum Quinta Simoni. The declaration like National Monument of the old house Quinta of Amalia Simoni, current Museum “Quinta Simoni”, stimulates and recognizes the consecration of specialists as regards restoration, investigators and historians that have put their respective talents for the sake of not allowing in several ways I lower any concept the disappearance of the patrimonial goods of this part of the Cuban geography.

The Máster Georgina Pérez Alonso directs to the Museum since the year 1998 and characterizes as of wonderful gift for the community of the institution-upward to 13 specialists and workers in general - the selection carried out by the National Commission of Monuments, belonging to the Ministry of Culture.

- “It is an event-she emphasizes - doesn't only stop us in particular, but for the whole town of Camagüey that go in this well built one, a permanent reflection of the creativity and of the history of the best children in the territory. One has worked a lot to achieve the rescue of the Fifth, completely destroyed.”

Possessor of a collection of goods that belonged to the family Simoni Argilagos, the headquarters incorporates herself its structure to the attractiveness enjoyed by the visitors. For years it is inserted in the community where resides-in the vicinity of the Square of Havana of the capital of Camagüey- in her quality of house of the family ofCamagüey.

- “Since it opening - Georgina points out -she had the denomination of House Quinta of Amalia Simoni. Now, already as National Monument, it is the Museum “Quinta SimoniI”, in accordance with the most comprehensive intention of reflecting among it exponents and in it documental funds, the history of an exemplary family and corl that she knew how to assume in it moment the defense of the independence of the Island consecrate.”

A NEST OF LOVE

For Amalia Simoni and Ignacio Agramonte was this place. The visitor can still imagine the scene repeated many times: the youth and beautiful from Camagüey, impatient in the wait for her boyfriend, in one of the big windows that look toward General Gómez's current street, old Santa Ana, marked with the number 149 in that time.

In the Fifth developed their courtship and there they went to reside once accomplished the union officially, until the arrival of that warning that would determine the youth's march toward the handgrip, where it would reach bigger General's grades. Little time later she would continue him to share vicissitudes and sacrifices, until its capture for the Spanish authorities recommended its later retreat, in company of the whole family, toward the exile.

- “This Museum-emphasizes Georgina Pérez Alonso - keeps objects related with the family zealously and with Ignacio, even a swimsuit of marble of Carrara, extremely valuable. The task of increasing the funds expositives has given its fruits when achieving new donations and exchanges with other facilities of the county linked with these illustrious children from the Camagüey.”

- “Our interest is to surrender the desert tribute to a place worshipped by the villagers and that she reserves for the visitor very special feelings: to sit down in their beautiful colonial patio is as going to the encounter with the own history... with the young Amalia and Ignacio, in love and making plans for the future.”

Georgina adds that the Museum is inserted definitively in the community where it resides through diverse projects directed to the family that embraces from Shops of Seam and of Gastronomy until the attention to the Adult bigger than very diverse ways.

Place for the rest, for the encounter between two different times and for the useful work in the breast of the society: the Museum “ Quinta Simoni” welcomes with fair pride it deserved declaration like National Monument.( Yolanda Ferrera Sosa)