Two champions of heritage honored at a single ceremony in Sancti Spíritus

The humility and simplicity that characterized both Eusebio Leal Spengler and Roberto Vitlloch Fernández were palpable during the tribute held in Sancti Spíritus in honor of both figures.

“These are two figures who, in distant cities and at different times, fought for the preservation of cultural heritage,” stated Sandra Hernández, director of the Office of the Conservator of the Heritage City of Sancti Spíritus, the institution spearheading the event. “Both figures deserve it, but Vitlloch especially so, because the moment for his recognition had arrived; we could not delay it any longer. Celebrating the birth of a figure as important as Eusebio Leal while honoring our own conservator was the core purpose of this simple tribute.”

The ceremony began with the unveiling of a plaque designating the exhibition halls at the La Merced Convention Center as “Roberto Vitlloch in Memoriam,” followed by the premiere of a song composed in his honor by Carlos Manuel Borroto.

The gathering—attended by Alba Rosa de Armas (widow of the founder and director of the Office of the Conservator of the Heritage City of Sancti Spíritus) and their daughter Alicia Vitlloch, along with friends and political and government officials—also served as the occasion to present one of his *guayaberas* to the city’s heritage collection.