Gov’t Committed to Returning Spanish Town to Glory Days- Grange

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia Grange, has assured His Majesty King Juan Carlos 1 and Queen Sofia of Spain, of the government’s commitment to returning Spanish Town to its glory days.
Ms. Grange, who was speaking at a civic function at Emancipation Square today (Feb. 18) in honour of the visiting Monarchs, said that serious efforts were being made by various entities including government and non-governmental agencies, towards that goal.
“The Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) and the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), through the Spanish Town Re-development Company (SPARCOM), are poised to continue the dialogue and to begin the work. Already, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, through the Ministry of Tourism, has committed $11 million to begin reinforcing some of the structures around you,” she told the Spanish King and Queen.
She informed further that the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development, through the Spanish Embassy, was seeking to establish a restoration school in Spanish Town, where young people could be schooled in the art and skill of restoring historical treasures unearthed in the town and other areas across the island.
Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, in presenting the keys to the city to the Spanish King and Queen, said the town was a national treasure and that the contribution of the Spanish to Jamaica, would not be forgotten.
Mayor Wheatley told JIS News after the formal ceremony, that the visit of the Monarchs was welcomed.
“It speaks to the strengthening of the relationship between the Spanish and Jamaica as it relates to initiatives put on the table to re-develop Spanish Town and to enhance the tourism product in Spanish Town,” he stated.
He noted that Spanish Town, given its rich history, had true tourism potential. “People still would like to encounter and visit new areas and Spanish Town provides the ideal opportunity for persons to see new cultural and historical buildings and people, and Spanish Town is a naturally built tourism product,” he pointed out.
Spanish Town was created by the Spanish when they settled in the island in 1494. At the time, the area was called St. Jago de la Vega. It was later established as the first capital of the island and re-named Spanish Town after the English conquest.