Built in the 19th century, the building that houses the Oscar Fernández Morera Academy of Fine Arts in Trinidad was originally the Dragoon Barracks, a military complex of significant historical importance.
The building, designed with impressive architectural details, was used as a train station starting in 1919 and was eventually transformed into the Academy of Fine Arts in 1988, marking the beginning of a new era of splendor and creativity.
However, the current reality stands in stark contrast to its glorious past. Today, the building is in a critical state of disrepair, with cracked walls, collapsed ceilings, unprotected windows, and weeds overtaking former artistic spaces, as highlighted in a report published by the state-run newspaper Escambray.
The lack of maintenance and prolonged disuse have resulted in the Dragoon Barracks being described by experts as an "archaeological ruin."
From Fortress to Academy: A Story of Adaptation and Creativity
The Dragoon Barracks was inaugurated in 1844 and, years later, converted into a train station. In 1988, amid a state of neglect, the barracks housed students and professors from the Academy of Fine Arts, who transformed the space into a center for artistic creation despite the deplorable conditions.
During the more than 20 years that the academy was active, Trinidad became a cradle for renowned Cuban artists such as Alexander Arrechea and Wilfredo Prieto.
The academy not only provided training in disciplines such as painting, sculpture, jewelry design, and restoration, but it also served as a haven of creativity in a city rich in artistic traditions.
It was precisely this rich cultural history that inspired its students and faculty, who saw in the building something more than just old walls and towers.
A restoration project and its abandonment
In 2001, the academy underwent a comprehensive renovation as part of the Battle of Ideas, a program that spearheaded the restoration of the Cuartel de Dragones with an investment of 4.69 million CUC.
However, in 2013, the institution was abruptly closed as part of a process to reorganize artistic education in the country, and the historic building was left abandoned.
In the following years, it was used temporarily as a pre-university and primary school, but the deterioration was immediate.
"A significant part of our culture is dying."
The building today faces a bleak situation: ferns and weeds cover the old halls, graffiti sullies its walls, and the ceilings threaten to collapse.
According to Víctor Echenagusía Peña, a specialist from the Office of the Conservator of the City of Trinidad and the Valley of the Sugar Mills, the condition of the structure demands urgent and expensive intervention.
“The predation has been extremely high. It is a body without a skeleton. It erodes Cuban culture to extraordinary levels,” notes Echenagusía.
However, the future of the Cuartel de Dragones is uncertain. Efforts to save the building are hindered by a lack of financial resources and institutional interest.
While the Office of the Conservator cannot intervene without the approval of the Cultural and Art Sector, the current economic situation renders comprehensive restoration nearly impossible.
The possibility of the Ministry of Tourism converting the building into a hotel has sparked debate, as it could compromise the original values of the structure.
Meanwhile, former students and teachers view the building with a mix of nostalgia and sadness. “I prefer to remember it from its glory and not from its pain,” confesses artist Yudit Vidal Faife.
The structure, which was once a vibrant center of training and creativity, now languishes in neglect, caught between oblivion and a lack of solutions for a space that, as it itself expresses, “is losing an important piece of our culture.”
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