We are Luca and Mattia, currently carrying out our Civil Service in Cuba, in the city of Matanzas, where we take part in the activities of the Zone Creative project, focused on the valorisation of the city’s tangible and intangible heritage.

In this context, we chose to interview Orozco Lionel Pérez, Conservator of the City of Matanzas. We found this interview particularly interesting, as his testimony offers insight into the distinctive features of the local territory, while also creating an intergenerational bridge with Marcos, the person interviewed in the previous article.

We began by exploring Orozco’s personal story, which has always been marked by a deep and lasting connection to the city.

Orozco has been the Conservator of the City since 2014, appointed by the provincial government of Matanzas at the time when the City Office was established. His academic background is related to archaeology, history, and geography. As he himself states: “this multidisciplinary background has given me a range of knowledge and tools that have proven very useful in the tasks I have to carry out as Conservator of the city.”
The Matanzas historian explained how complex this role is, as it requires on the one hand a deep and detailed knowledge of the history and culture of the city of Matanzas, as well as its potential, and on the other hand a strong connection to the territory and the ability to transmit this passion and these values to the work team. These two aspects ensure the effective preservation of the city and its historic centre.
The love that Orozco Pérez feels for Matanzas is evident in the words of praise he uses for the city and in the pride with which he speaks about it: “Matanzas is a quintessential neoclassical city, which has preserved the structure and characteristics of its urban centre intact, representing a key distinguishing feature from an architectural point of view compared to other cities. Moreover, its architectural and urban development has adapted to the morphological richness of the territory, characterised by the presence of rivers, valleys, and the bay. Another outstanding element is culture: the national dance was born here, it is the city of poets, and the Cuban flag originated here. Matanzas culture has also strongly contributed to laying the musical foundations of Cuba: from danzón to danzonete, from rumba to mambo, which is danced all over the world. These are precisely the values we must preserve.”
Always committed to safeguarding the historical and cultural heritage of his city, the Conservator of Matanzas believes that beyond all possible definitions, heritage is about love for a place that represents us and evokes emotions. In essence, echoing a metaphor used by Orozco: “if a tree is cut down but its roots remain in the ground, it can regenerate. But if the roots are cut, then the tree dies, history dies, and traditions die. It is precisely these roots that must be preserved, as Matanzas is a city that lives through its traditions.”
Orozco’s story and the reflections he shared led us to consider the variety of historical and cultural elements of the city of Matanzas and the importance of effective heritage management. In such a complex period, it can represent an element through which people can recognise themselves, helping to strengthen their sense of identity and belonging to a community.