Cuban War of Independence Santiago, and established a base. The port of Santiago became the main target of naval operations. The U.S. fleet attacking Santiago needed shelter from the summer hurricane season, thus nearby Guantánamo Bay, with its excellent harbor, was chosen for this purpose and attacked on June 6 (1898 invasion of Guantánamo Bay). The Battle of Santiago de Cuba on July 3, 1898 was the largest naval engagement during the Spanish–American War, resulting in the destruction of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron (Flota de Ultramar). Resistance in Santiago consolidated around Fort Canosa, All the while, major battles between Spaniards and Americans took place
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, Santiago de Cuba Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, Santiago de Cuba The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption (), also called Santiago de Cuba Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica in Santiago de Cuba, in eastern Cuba. The cathedral fronts onto Céspedes Park. Its facade has two marble sculptures. The first church in Santiago was built in 1514, at the beginning of the Spanish colonization of Cuba, and dedicated to Saint Catherine. This was a small, rudimentary chapel on a hill, the future site of the provincial prison. In 1522, this parish church, called Ermita