Patrimonio industrial de Veracruz en riesgo: dos ejemplos de la participación social en su rescate

Abstract

Two examples of the industrial heritage of the state of Veracruz are shown, both as historical and architectural value, but with opposite purposes: The Former Toxpan sugar cane Hacienda in Córdoba and the former cigar factory “La Prueba” in the city of Veracruz; the first 80% restored and the other in total abandonment and risk of disappearance. A summary of both cases is presented, with historical documentary, graphic background, and their restoration projects. The 18th-century Hacienda, with commercial development in the 19th, until the mid-20th, was abandoned only to keep garbage trucks. A citizen committee with municipal and federal contributions and the INAH Veracruz restoration project accomplish a successful rescue as a cultural center. The 19th-century cigar factory “La Prueba” is located in the heart of the historic city of Veracruz, evicted in 1995, abandoned in 2004 in a failed attempt to restore it, which left it with an accelerated process of deterioration, losing itself day by day in the face of the indifference of the city.