REVILLAGIGEDO STREET, LA HAVANA. SPAIN IN CUBA STORY.
Not many habaneros know that the Revillagigedo Street, in the Cuban capital, takes its name from a Spanish Governor of heavy-handed, whose excellent talent as ruler were overshadowed by a greed and a haughtiness reprehensible and that for 11 years that remained as Governor general of the colony in Cuba and immune to criticism and allegations of the Creole patriciate.
Revillagigedo Street Today, La Habana.
Field marshal Juan Francisco Güemes de Horcasitas, first count of Revillagigedo, a title which was awarded the Crown during his command in Cuba, is the protagonist of this story.
The Chronicle describes him as a man of terrible aspect, dominant eyes and nails so long and thick bristles eyes imposed fear themselves enemies.
He arrived in Cuba in an era in which smuggling, which conquered letter of legitimacy, and the administrative immorality had exhausted the treasure of the island.
A strong hand is needed to curb the many and serious evils of the colony. That was the hand of Juan Francisco Güemes de Horcasitas. He began to punish abuses and embezzlements. He appointed lieutenants, capable by their attitudes and severity, channel order in jurisdictions of the importance of Puerto Príncipe, Sancti Spíritus and San Juan de los Remedios. Subjected to his authority to the Government of Santiago de Cuba. 22 sides in the course of 11 years of Government dictated to discipline to the Administration and enforcement of the colony are proof of their excellent control conditions.
Revillagigedo regulated cleaning streets and public spaces, as well as the Havana port. He moved the slaughterhouse to an appropriate place and was ruthless with those who they overstated prices and speculated with agricultural products. He favored the opening of the hospital of San Lázaro, reorganized the Town Hall and regularized the justice. It re-established the rule of law. Its measures against those who mocked the Treasury were very effective.
It is considered the true founder of Real company trade of Havana, which carried out the most monstrous monopoly with Cuban productions for more than 20 years. The Governor Juan Francisco Güemes de Horcasitas, official facilitator of the monopoly of the Royal company, was enriched by their participation in their businesses. With months to receive the title of count and became the coveted position of viceroy of Mexico.
Great coat of arms Counts of Revillagigedo.
Since then the position of captain general and Governor of Cuba became a very coveted position.
The count of Revillagigedo was avaricious and rapacious. It was that, says Álvaro de la Iglesia, its main fault. When was a business in which saw the possibility of winning, rushing it although I knew it would be because of scandal. The enormous fortune which came to grab this way allowed him to create in Spain a Majorat for each of their children, and they were several, while in the Gazette of the Netherlands is described as «the richest vassal who had Fernando VI». Revillagigedo stole, but wouldn’t steal. If it had turned a blind eye with thieves and embezzlers surrounding him, no one had said mean word against her. But he understood it in another way, causing a storm of censorship and even slander against his person and all their acts of Government. Repeated the allegations against her, but in Madrid realized that if the count stole, the incomes of Cuba had not achieved never before amount which he referred from Havana. To that joined his adequate defence of the island, for he had the armed enemy in check. That is why Madrid kept him in office against the odds.
Their enemies named then the lawyer Lorenzo Hernández Tinoco as a kind of accuser private Guemes, and Güemes without wasting time deported him to Spain. Them already was nothing left do as ask the sky lightning, left it just as it had happened in those days to the ship invincible in Havana Bay. Not the beam broke it, but an attack of apoplexy seemed to it out of the game permanently. Sang victory his enemies, who did not have the resistance of the Asturian. The family took Chacon to their lands of Santa María de el Rosario and medicinal waters of the place made it was restored within a month. He returned to Havana willing to continue enriching and do rage even more enemies.
Says Alvaro of the Church that the days of his serious medical condition was that you circulated a popular saying that alluded to their petty greed. He said: «Neither count nor marques; Juan is». «More than attacks that had been subjected, must have hurt to Revillagigedo that said that it was by word of mouth, because since then became even more harsh and terrible to that before, putting in care to their pursuers, who feared him as a cholera».
Times passed and those who were waiting to see him fall, became crazy when they knew that Juan Francisco Güemes de Horcasitas had been appointed viceroy of Mexico.
And that’s the story from which comes the name of the well known yet Revillagigedo Street in Habana, Cuba.
Agencies/CiroBianchiRoss/InternetPhotos/Excerpts/TheCubanHistory.com
THE CUBAN HISTORY, HOLLYWOOD.
Arnold Varona, Editor.
CUBA PHOTOS.
CUBA HOY/TODAY: La Plaza Vieja, La Habana.