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History
Jamaica possesses a rich cultural heritage. The cocktail of influences includes distant whisperings of Taino Indians, decimated with the arrival of the Europeans to the New World. Jamaica’s culture is reflective of nearly five centuries of Spanish and English rule, strategies for survival and modes of recreation among enslaved Africans as well as sundry adaptations from the East.
The built heritage comes out of a past that was as noteworthy for its brutality as it was testimony to the resilience, resourcefulness and strength of a people stripped of human rights and dignity. Sometimes in splendid isolation, sometimes jostling with modern edifices, stately plantation “great houses” continue to overlook large acreages that once fed the factories that made sugar “King”.
The thick stone walls, gracious rooms, high windows and sweeping stairways tell of the inestimable wealth sugar created for the West Indian planter. Many churches of exceptional beauty have withstood natural disasters over the centuries. These and numerous other structures show off the fine craftsmanship of Jamaican Georgian architecture, dotting the landscape alongside remnants of aqueducts, windmills and other aspects of the industrial heritage. Jamaica possesses outstanding historic sites, notably Spanish Town, the island’s capital for over 300 years, and Port Royal, the buccaneers’ haven partially sunk beneath the sea in the 1692 earthquake.
On the North coast, New Seville, the third settlement in the New World harks back to the Spanish occupation. Falmouth, formerly a bustling sea port with many charming Georgian buildings is slated for major redevelopment. The sheer beauty and diversity of the island’s natural heritage combined with the strength of its cultural manifestations in music, dance, cuisine, literary and other art forms have positioned Jamaica as a remarkable destination. There is much for the discerning to discover. Jamaica extends the perennial attraction of its sun, sea and sand by allowing visitors to embrace the cultural and historical elements that make her truly unique.