Founding of Fernandina de Jagua (Cienfuegos), Cuba

Background. The area where Cienfuegos lies was identified as Cacicazgo de Jagua by early Spanish conquistadors. The city stands on the southern coast of Cuba and serves as the capital of Cienfuegos Province. After its establishment, the port grew into a powerful town thanks to the fertile fields surrounding it and its position on the trade route between Jamaica and South American cities to the southeast and Santa Clara to the northeast.

Founding. French immigrants from Bordeaux and Louisiana, led by Don Louis de Clouet, settled the area on 22 April 1819. The settlers named the city Fernandina de Jagua in honor of King Ferdinand VII of Spain and the local Ciboneyan-Chief Jagua. This founding marked the establishment of a new settlement in colonial Cuba.

Evolution. The settlement successively became a town (villa) in 1829, renamed for Asturian-born José Cienfuegos Jovellanos, Captain General of Cuba (1816–19), and a city in 1880. The downtown area contains six buildings dating from 1819–50, 327 buildings from 1851 to 1900, and 1188 buildings from the 20th century, tracing the city's physical growth across its first two centuries.