Indelible traces of a crossing

When the French arrived in Santiago in the early 19th century, they transformed the city, its surroundings and the countryside. It is said that in nineteenth-century Santiago de Cuba French was spoken, that is to say, we are referring to a bilingualism in this region, since the contact between the French and the Spanish language propitiated it, in addition to the imprint of a city impregnated by the best of art, literature, fashion and cuisine of this century, since France has long been a benchmark for fashion, elegance and good taste. The French-Haitian and French presence in Santiago de Cuba has been investigated from the most dissimilar points of view, since several scholars have studied this subject, from history (the most numerous), art, literature, linguistics, architecture, among others. This research will cover almost the entire 19th century, since the French and Haitian immigrants revolutionized the town, through their two migratory flows, which extended for almost a century, including from the first migratory exodus provoked by the Haitian Revolution until the beginning of the Ten Years' War.