Last Sunday we decided to visit the fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña to enjoy the Cañonazo Ceremony.
Located on the other side of the bay of Havana, this place offers every night this historical-cultural spectacle based on a tradition inherited from the colonial period. When Havana was still walled, a cannon shot announced to its inhabitants the opening and closing of its gates. After the walls were demolished, the tradition remained. At 9 o'clock at night, without missing any day, the cannon is fired.
The spectacle is attended by many people, not only Cubans, who come from other provinces. Also many foreigners come here to witness it.
It is carried out by a battalion of young people doing military service, dressed in costumes and wigs similar to those of the time and weapons that are real.
To be close to the cannon that performs the firing you have to arrive very early and be located in the small square that surrounds it. The area is small so very few people can fit. For this reason people enter very early in the afternoon and wait for the cannon to fire.
We decided to enjoy from the beginning. At the entrance of the castle around 8 p.m., the fantasy begins. An "edict" of the Captain General of the Republic is read announcing the cannon shot and then the entrance to the enclosure is allowed.
The areas of the Cabaña are kept in very good condition. A small handicraft fair is installed in its premises. Souvenirs and other items can be purchased.
Around 8:45 pm the platoon preceded by a town crier marches with torches towards the cannon. This is part of a battery of 21 cannons, each with its own name. According to the site curators, they are all in perfect working order.
The bullet that is fired is made of cloth cuttings and a core of gunpowder to which the fuse is connected.
To the rhythm of the town crier that describes to the public what the ceremony consists of and the touch of drums, the ritual is carried out.
At 9 o'clock sharp, under the gaze of all present, the shot is fired. Shouts of joy and applause accompany the moment.
I regret not being able to share with you the video I made of this part of the ceremony. Problems with internet connectivity did not allow me to do so. However, I share with you a beautiful image of Havana taken from the platform where the cannon shot was fired.
