Torre de Manaca Iznaga

OVERVIEW

The tower at the Manaca Iznaga estate rises 45 metres over the Valle de los Ingenios, the valley of sugar mills outside Trinidad. It was built in 1816 by Alejo María Iznaga y Borrell. Its bell marked the start and end of the working day for the enslaved, called prayer times, and rang the alarm for fires and escapes; the tower itself was a watch-post over the fields and a display of the family's wealth. The valley — at its peak more than fifty mills worked by over 30,000 enslaved people — was listed with Trinidad as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

HISTORY

The Iznaga family were among the richest planters in Cuba in the early 19th century. The estate house, tower and bell survive; the surrounding mill ruins are the record of the sugar economy the tower served.

REPORTED ACTIVITY

Local legend, told in Trinidad and repeated in Cuban travel and folklore writing, says Don Alejo imprisoned his young wife, Juana, in the tower out of jealousy after killing a rival in a duel, and that she died there. On full-moon nights, the story goes, a white figure is seen at the upper windows and laments are heard. None of this is in the historical record; the tower's documented purpose — watching over enslaved workers — is the harder history, and it is why the site is here.

VISITING

About 12 km east of Trinidad on the road to Sancti Spíritus. The tower can be climbed.