Contrary to her sister, El Morro, designed to protect from attacks by sea, the San Cristóbal guarded the city from enemy approaches by land, creating a crossfire with El Morro over the bay. Standing guard at the eastern gate, north of Columbus Square, is an imposing 18th century fortress, called Fort San Cristóbal. Outside the theater, along Fortaleza Street, there are a number of quaint restaurants and cute little cafes where one can sip some iced coffee outside whilst enjoying the sight of Columbus Square, the symbol of progress and testament of new and old San Juan! Over the years, many notable performers have graced its stage. Inaugurated in 1824, this lovely piece of neoclassical architecture was initially known as the San Juan Municipal Theater. To the south of the square is a gem of Puerto Rican entertainment culture, the Theater Tapia. In 1893 the statue of Christopher Columbus was installed to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Puerto Rico, upon which the square was renamed Colón, or Columbus Square. From 1862, several projects had been undertaken to refurbish the square until in 1870 it finally started to take its current shape. Encircled by stone walls in 1635-1641, the only way into the city was then through five gates, the centermost of which was Puerta de Santiago (the Land Gate), straddling the sole highway linking the walled San Juan islet to the rest of Puerto Rico by land.īy 1772 the open space adjacent to Puerta de Santiago had taken the shape of Santiago Square, albeit still unpaved at that time and long afterwards. Originally known as Santiago Square, back in the 17th century this square literally marked the doorstep to the old town. To explore Old San Juan in detail and to soak in its historical atmosphere, take this self-guided walking tour and feel yourself traveling back in time, if only for an hour or so.Ĭolumbus Square is one of the most important squares in San Juan. Among its key landmarks worth checking out are: Plaza Colon (Columbus Square) Paseo de la Princesa (Promenade of the Princess) San Juan Gate and City Walls Plaza de Armas (Arms Square) with the historic San Juan City Hall Cathedral of San Juan Bautista and more. To preserve its historic fortifications, the National Historic Site was established in 1949. After the Americans prevailed in the war, Spain ceded Puerto Rico in 1899, thus marking the outset of the U.S.-Puerto Rico long-standing relationship.īy the late 1940s, the Old Town of San Juan had fallen into disrepair. invaded Puerto Rico, on 25 July 1898, as part of the Spanish–American War. After the Spaniards rejected the proposal, the U.S.
Pursuant to this objective, the United States offered to purchase Puerto Rico and Cuba from Spain for 160 million dollars. Part of their strategy involved the acquisition of colonies that would serve as strategic points of defense and allow easier passage of ships between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the 1890s the United States sought to expand their influence over the Caribbean with the help of a powerful navy. The San Cristóbal fortress, the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the Americas, was completed in 1771. Circumvallation of the city, commenced in 1630, was concluded by 1641. Added to this, in 1584, was the El Morro castle, designed for San Felipe del Morro. Among them is the La Fortaleza, aka Santa Catalina Palace, the oldest executive mansion still in use on the American continent, built between 15. Today, this lovely historic area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, is characterized by its narrow, blue cobblestone streets, and picturesque, brightly colored buildings, some of which date back almost 500 years.
This was in keeping with the usual custom of christening the town with both its formal name and that which Christopher Columbus had originally given to the islands, honoring John the Baptist.
In 1521, the words "San Juan" were added to the official name, thus making it "San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico". 0.5% American Indian & Alaskan Native,0.Founded by Spanish colonists in 1509 at a site then known as "Puerto Rico" (Rich Port), San Juan is the third oldest European-established capital in the Americas. Puerto Rico covers an area of 3,515 sq mi (9,104 km2), with popuation of 3,285,874 as of 2020 U.S. The capital and largest city is San Juan. Puerto Rico, officially Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, It is located on the continent of North America, in between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands.