Fort San Felipe del Morro —or
El Castillo San Felipe del Morro in
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
— is a sixteenth-century
citadelA citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
which lies on the northwestern-most point of the islet of
San JuanSan Juan is the capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 433,733, making it the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico...
,
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
. Named in honor of King
Philip II of SpainPhilip II was King of Spain and Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, during his wife Mary Tudor's reign, King of England and Ireland...
, the fort, also referred to as "El Morro" or "
promontoryPromontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
", was designed to guard the entrance to San Juan bay, and defend the city of
San JuanSan Juan is the capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 433,733, making it the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico...
from seaborne enemies.
In 1983, the fort was declared a
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
by the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
and is part of
San Juan National Historic SiteSan Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall.-Features:The site includes four features:* Fort San Felipe del Morro* Fort San Cristóbal...
. Over two million visitors a year explore the windswept ramparts and passageways making the fort one of Puerto Rico's main visitor attractions.
Facing "El Morro", on the opposite side of the bay, a smaller fort known as "
El CañueloFortín San Juan de la Cruz , better known as el Cañuelo, is located on Isla de Cabras, Puerto Rico. It is part of San Juan National Historic Site.-History:This fort was originally built in wood in 1610...
" complemented the fort's defense of the entrance to the bay.
The construction of the Fort San Felipe del Morro begun 1539 when King
Charles VCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556...
of
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
authorized its construction, including the surrounding walls. The purpose was to defend the port of
San JuanSan Juan is the capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 433,733, making it the 42nd-largest city under the jurisdiction of the United States. San Juan was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521, who called it Ciudad de Puerto Rico...
. Construction started the same year with a tiny proto-fortress that was "completed" in 1589. This small section comprises perhaps 10% of the structure people see today.
In 1587, engineers Juan de Tejada and Juan Bautista Antonelli designed the actual appearance of the castle following well established Spanish military fortification design principles. Similar Spanish fortifications of the 1600s-1700s can be seen in
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
,
St. AugustineSt. Augustine is the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, in the United States. Founded in 1565, it is the oldest continuously occupied European established city, and the oldest port, in the continental United States. St. Augustine lies in a region of Florida known as The First Coast, which...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
,
Santo DomingoSanto Domingo, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, estimated at 2,253,437 in 2006. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
,
Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries...
,
VeracruzVeracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave is one of the 31 states that constitute the United Mexican States. Veracruz is borderd by Tamaulipas to the north, the Gulf to the east, Tabasco to the southeast, Oaxaca and Chiapas to the south and Puebla, Hidalgo, and San Luis Potosi to the west...
and
AcapulcoAcapulco is a city, and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay. It is a port of call for shipping and cruising lines running between Panama and San Francisco, California, United States...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
,
PortobelloPortobello or Porto Bello may refer to:Placenames* Portobelo, Panama * The Battle of Porto Bello, a 1739 British naval victory from which may other uses take their name.* Portobello, Dublin, Ireland...
and
Panama CityPanama City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 813,097, with a total metro population of 1,206,792, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, at...
,
PanamáPanama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of both Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the...
,and many other
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish, Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,501 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n locations which were governed as part of the Spanish Empire during the Age of Exploration.
Many complex additional new structures were added to El Morro over the next 400 years. The outer walls are six meters thick. In 1680, Governor Enrique Enríquez de Sotomayor begun the construction of the walls surrounding the city of San Juan, which took 48 years. By the late 18th century, El Morro's walls had grown to be thick. Today El Morro has six levels that rise from sea level to high. All along the walls are seen the dome-covered sentry boxes known as
garitasA bartizan or guerite is an overhanging, wall-mounted turret projecting from the walls of medieval fortifications from the early 14th century up to the 16th century. They protect a warder and enable him to see around him. Bartizans generally are furnished with oylets or arrow slits....
, which have become a cultural symbol of Puerto Rico itself. The
El Morro or Port San Juan LightEl Morro or Port San Juan Light, also known as Faro de Morro or Faro del Castillo del Morro or Puerto San Juan Light, is a lighthouse atop the walls of Fort San Felipe del Morro in Old San Juan. It's the first lighthouse built in Puerto Rico.The first Port San Juan Lighthouse was built in 1846 and...
was built atop the fort in 1843, but in 1908, it was replaced by the
USThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military with the current lighthouse.
Including the exterior open killing grounds, known as the glacis and esplanade, dominated by cannon in the 17th and 18th centuries, El Morro can be said to take up over 70 acres (280,000 m²).
Spanish Rule (1539–1898)
During the Spanish occupation of the island, El Morro survived several attacks from foreign powers on various occasions. In 1595, Sir
Francis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral , was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, a renowned pirate, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth I awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588, subordinate...
from
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
attacked San Juan with his fleet. He failed, however, when Spanish gunners shot a
cannonballA cannonball is round shot ammunition for a cannon.By analogy, cannonball is also the name or nickname of:* A diving technique in swimming; unlike competitive diving techniques, however, its purpose is to maximize, rather than minimize, splash on water entry.People* Julian "Cannonball" Adderley,...
through his cabin. In 1598, the British attacked again led by
George Clifford, 3rd Earl of CumberlandGeorge Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland was an English peer, as well as a naval commander and courtier in the court of Queen Elizabeth I....
. Clifford succeeded because he entered San Juan through land instead of entering through the San Juan Bay and El Morro. However, an epidemy of
dysenteryDysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the feces. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal....
forced him to flee the island.
The
DutchThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, led by Boudewijn Hendricksz, also attacked the island following George Clifford's idea of invading through land. However, the cannons of El Morro managed to make them retire. However, they sacked and burned the city before leaving.
El Morro's last active fight occurred during a naval bombardment by the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
during the 1898
Spanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba. The war began after American demands for the resolution of the Cuban fight for independence were rejected by Spain...
. Ending the age of naval warfare in the Caribbean, at least in the classical sense. However, the United States' first shots of World War I were fired from the fort's battery in 1915. The short war ended with the signing of
Treaty of ParisThe Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, and ended the Spanish-American War.-Background:Article V of a peace protocol entered into between United States and Spain on August 12, 1898 read as follows:...
. Spain ceded ownership of the islands of
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
,
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
, Guam, and the Philippines to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. El Morro and many other Spanish government buildings in Old San Juan then became part of a large U.S. Army post, called Fort Brooke. In the early 20th century, the U.S. military filled up the esplanade, or green space in front of "El Morro" with baseball diamonds, hospitals, officers' quarters, an officers' club and even a
golfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
course.
American Military Occupation (1898–1961)
On March 21, 1915, Lt.
Teofilo MarxuachLieutenant Colonel Teófilo Marxuach, , was the person who ordered the first shot fired in World War I on behalf of the United States on an armed German supply ship trying to force its way out of the San Juan Bay.-Early years:...
was the officer of the day at El Morro Castle. The
Odenwald, built in 1903 (not to be confused with the German World War II war ship which carried the same name), was an armed German supply ship which tried to force its way out of the bay and deliver supplies to the German
submarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability...
s waiting in the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
. Lt. Marxuach gave the order to open fire on the ship from the walls of the fort. The
Odenwald was forced to return and its supplies were confiscated. The shots ordered by Lt. Marxuach have been considered as the first fired by the United States in World War I.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army added a massive concrete bunker to the top of El Morro to serve as a Harbor Defense Fire Control Station to direct a network of coastal artillery sites, and to keep watch for German submarines which were ravaging shipping in the Caribbean. A lighthouse, rebuilt by the U.S. Army in 1906–08 is the tallest point on El Morro, standing 180 feet (55 m) above sea level. Flagpoles on El Morro today customarily fly the United States flag, the Puerto Rican flag and the
Cross of Burgundy FlagThe Cross of Burgundy Flag was used by Spain 1506-1701 as a naval ensign, and up to 1843 as the land battle flag, and still appears on regimental colours, badges, shoulder patches and company guidons...
, also known in Spanish as las Aspas de Borgoña, a standard which was widely used by Spanish armies around the world from 1506–1785.
National Park (1961–present)
In 1961, the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
officially retired from El Morro. The fort became a part of the National Park Service to be preserved as museums. In 1983, the Fort was declared a
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
by the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
.
In honor of the Quincentennial of the voyages of Columbus in 1992 the exterior esplanade was cleared of palm trees that had been planted by the U.S. Army in the Fort Brooke era, and restored to the open appearance this "field-of-fire" for El Morro's cannon would have had in colonial Spanish times. Parking lots and paved roads were also removed, and the El Morro lighthouse repaired and restored to its original appearance.
El Morro was used as a film set in the 1996 motion picture
AmistadAmistad is a 1997 Steven Spielberg film based on the true story of a slave mutiny that took place aboard a ship of the same name in 1839, and the legal battle that followed...
.
Steven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. In a career of over four decades, Spielberg's films have touched on many themes and genres. Spielberg's early sci-fi and adventure films, sometimes centering on children, were seen as an archetype of modern...
used it to represent a fort in
Sierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the north, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has a population estimated at 6.4 million...
where African slaves were auctioned in 1839. The real history of Castillo de San Felipe del Morro in Puerto Rico has absolutely nothing to do with the slave trade. No such activity took place on or near El Morro. El Morro was strictly a defensive military fortification and a major component of San Juan's harbor defense system.
Historical time line
1519 – Spanish settlers from Caparra found San Juan.
1539 – Construction of the first harbor defenses at El Morro and
La FortalezaLa Fortaleza, is the current official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. It was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the harbor of San Juan. The structure is also known as Palacio de Santa Catalina . It is the oldest executive mansion in the New World...
authorized by King
Charles VCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556...
.
1587 – Engineers Juan de Tejada and
Juan Bautista AntonelliJuan Bautista Antonelli was a military engineer from a prestigious Italian family of military engineers in the service of the Habsburg monarchs of Austria and Spain....
lay out the main design for El Morro still seen today.
1589 – Governor Diego Menéndez begins new construction at El Morro.
1595 – Sir
Francis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral , was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, a renowned pirate, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth I awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588, subordinate...
attacks El Morro unsuccessfully by sea. Gunners from El Morro shoot a cannonball through the cabin of Drake's flagship. To impede Drake's ships from entering the bay, a metal chain was drawn across the entrance. Drake was defeated and many of his ships sunk.
1598 –
George CliffordGeorge Clifford may refer to:* George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland* George Clifford III, Dutch banker* George Clifford Sziklai, electronics engineer* George Clifford Wilson, cricketer...
, Duke of Cumberland, attacks from the land side in June of this year, the only time El Morro was taken in battle. English forces move into the fortress, however weakened by
dysenteryDysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the feces. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal....
they leave in November.
1625 – The
DutchThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
under the command of Captain Balduino Enrico (also known as Boudewijn Hendricksz/Bowdoin Henrick) attacked and invaded San Juan from the "La Puntilla". El Morro held out under the leadership of Spanish Governor De Haro and Captain
Juan de AmezquitaCaptain Juan de Amezquita , was a Puerto Rican soldier who defended Puerto Rico from an invasion by the Dutch in 1625. He fought and wounded Captain Balduino Enrico who was ordered by the Dutch Government to capture Puerto Rico.-Early years:Amezquita was born and raised in Puerto Rico when the...
of the Puerto Rican militia, but the city was sacked and burned.
1630 – Governor Enrique Enríquez de Sotomayor begins construction of the city walls. Work continues until 1678 to encircle the city completely.
1762 – British forces capture the fort in an assault after a long siege & bombardment under the command of
George Keppel, 3rd Earl of AlbemarleGeneral George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle KG PC , styled Viscount Bury until 1754, becoming 3rd Earl of Albermale, , in 1757 on the death of his father, the 2nd Earl was a British soldier nobleman best known for his capture of Havana in 1762 during the Seven Years' War.He came from a wealthy...
& George Augustus Eliott
1765 – Field Marshall
Alejandro O'ReillyAlejandro O'Reilly , was a highly respected military reformer and Inspector-General of Infantry for the Spanish Empire in the second half of the 18th century...
(Alexander O'Reilly) and Royal Engineer Tomás O'Daly (Thomas O'Daly) reform the defenses of San Juan by reorganizing the garrison and making the city a "Defense of the First Order".
1797 –
Ralph AbercrombyLieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, KB was a British lieutenant-general noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars.-Biography:...
(Ralph Abercromby) and
Henry HarveyAdmiral Sir Henry Harvey, KB was a long-serving officer of the British Royal Navy during the second half of the eighteenth century. Harvey participated in numerous naval operations and actions and especially distinguished himself at the Glorious First of June in command of HMS Ramillies...
(Henry Harvey), with a force of 7,000–13,000 men, invaded the island of Puerto Rico. Captain General Don Ramón de Castro and his forces repelled the attack. Abercromby and Harvey were defeated. This was to be one of the largest invasions to Spanish territories in the Americas.
1825 – Well known
Puerto RicanPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
pirate,
Roberto CofresíRoberto Cofresí , better known as "El Pirata Cofresí", was the most renowned pirate in Puerto Rico. He became interested in sailing at a young age. By the time he reached adulthood there were some political and economic difficulties in Puerto Rico, which at the time was a colony of Spain...
was jailed and later executed within the fort's walls.
1843 – First
lighthouseA lighthouse is a tower, building, or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire and used as an aid to navigation and to pilots at sea....
in Puerto Rico constructed atop the castle.
1898 – On 12 May, US Navy warships
shellBattle of San Juan may refer to:*Battle of San Juan , a British attack on San Jaun, Puerto Rico, in 1595*Battle of San Juan , a second British attack on San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1598...
El Morro in a day-long bombardment, damaging the tip of the main battery. Six months later, Puerto Rico becomes US territory by terms of the
Treaty of ParisThe Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, and ended the Spanish-American War.-Background:Article V of a peace protocol entered into between United States and Spain on August 12, 1898 read as follows:...
which ends the
Spanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba. The war began after American demands for the resolution of the Cuban fight for independence were rejected by Spain...
.
1908 – Present lighthouse seen atop El Morro built by the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
.
1915 – First shots of World War l fired by Lt. Teofilo Marxuach on behalf of the United States.
1942 – Still an active military post during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, concrete artillery observation posts and an underground bunker are added to El Morro to defend against possible German attacks.
1949 – San Juan National Historic Site is established.
1961 – The U.S. Army moves out of the forts of Old San Juan, and they become the jurisdiction of the United States
National Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, to be preserved solely as museums.
1983 –
San Juan National Historic SiteSan Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall.-Features:The site includes four features:* Fort San Felipe del Morro* Fort San Cristóbal...
declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.
1992 – El Morro's grounds are returned to their historic 18th century appearance as part of quincentennial commemoration of the discovery of Puerto Rico by
Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was a navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere...
when modern roadways and parking lots are removed. El Morro now generates tourism revenue by being open to tours.
See also
- El Cañuelo
Fortín San Juan de la Cruz , better known as el Cañuelo, is located on Isla de Cabras, Puerto Rico. It is part of San Juan National Historic Site.-History:This fort was originally built in wood in 1610...
- Fort San Cristóbal
- La Perla
La Perla is a slum neighborhood aside of the northern historic city wall of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, stretching about 600 meters along the rocky Atlantic coast immediately east of the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery and down the slope from Calle Norzagaray.La Perla was established in...
- Old San Juan
Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within the territory of the United States and it is the historic colonial section of San Juan, Puerto Rico...
- Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery is a colonial-era cemetery located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the final resting place of many of Puerto Rico's most prominent natives and residents. Construction began in 1863 under the auspices of Ignacio Mascaro. The cemetery is located outside...
External links