Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Reflection

Old San Juan is the attraction most visited in Puerto Rico. The city of San Juan dates back to the 16th century, when Spanish settlers who came to the island in 1493 abandoned Villa de Caparra. Old San Juan is a city full of historical sites. It may be a small city, but with all the hills we had to go through, we felt we were exercising. It’s funny how one thing leads to another. You walk up to San Felipe del Morro Fortress and when you look to the left you see the School of Fine Arts. All of the monuments are centralized throughout the city which makes it easier to explore!

This project helped us realize and visualize the history of Old San Juan. We learned that every building has its own history. During the project we realized that we thought we knew everything about the city, however, we were wrong and most of us didn't know where to go. But we had fun and that’s a major factor in this project.

                       Hope You Enjoy Our Blog!


Saturday, May 2, 2015

Welcome to Old San Juan






Nelson Sandoval                                                                                                            Robinson School
Alejandro Robles                                                                                                                Nedinia Velez
Bryan Rodriguez                                                                                                                May 5th, 2015
Maximilian Kogan               

Charlie Fernandez

Welcome to Old San Juan 

Luis Muñoz Rivera Park
The Luis Muñoz Rivera Park is named in honor of Luis Muñoz Rivera. He was a well-known statesman in Puerto Rico. The intention of building this park was dated back to the year 1919. 

Before the existance of the park, the the land itself was part of the San Juan's "Third line of defense" built in the 18th century. 






El Capitolio






Puerto Rico Capitol opened on February 11, 1929 as the headquarters of the Puerto Rican legislatureThis is were the laws are created. It was inagurated in Febuary 11, 1929. It's located  right off the walls of old San Juan.



The Capitolio de Puerto Rico stands as a powerful symbol of self government. In 1907 former resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Luis Muñoz River promoted the idea of constructing a capitol building
  



 El Fuerte de San Cristóbal 
The Castillo San Cristóbal is a fort it was finished in 1783. This fort was built by Spain to protect the city from sea attacks and land attacks. 














It stands where the eastern gate to the walled city of Old San Juan was located back in the 1800′s, when the wall completely surrounded the city against land based attacks.








El Fuerte de San Gerónimo




In 1609, Governor Don Gabriel de Rojas ordered the construction of the Fortin de San Gerónimo de Boquerón at Boquerón beach, the site of a small, four-cannon defensive battery. 





Improvements to the fort later constructed continued throughout the the 18th century. Fortin de San Gerónimo, and the adjacent Fort of San Antonio, played an important role in San Juan's defense against British attack in 1797.





La Garita Del Diablo



La Garita del Diablo is a guerite at Castillo San Cristobal. The guerites offer a vantage point to watchmen guarding the sea shore and at the same time protects them.








This particular guerite is one of the oldest parts of the fort being built in 1634.




Escuela de Artes Plasticas


The building were Arts Plasticas was formerly “La Casa de Locos,” an asylum for the mentally ill. Since the change it is a center which emanated creative processes throughout.














San Felipe del Morro

San Felipe del Morro is a fort located in Old San Juan. It's history dates back to when the Spanish reigned Puerto Rico. 





El Morro was strong enough to withstand several attacks from foreign. San Felife del Morro Fort endured through  many military blockages.










Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña


The order of Law Number 89, signed June 21, 1955 the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, is a government owned building created to perserve, protect, and promote the Puerto Rico culture and its values.




El Hamburger


An institution established a few decades ago. It is located in front of the Atlantic Ocean Puerta de Tierra. It is a very recognized restaurant due to the peculiarity of havign posters on its walls of famous artists that have been part of the hit parade. 





La Princesa Prison

Cárcel de la Princesa or El Presidio de San Juan was built in 1837.



 The prioners did hard labor, making the walls around Old San Juan, working on the forts, and doing building repairs. In 1930 to 1950 many political prisoners did time here. Was still in use as a prision up until 1976, when it was forced to closed due to the inhumane conditions in which prisoners were kept. 






La 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 knowns Palacio de Santa Catalina.  









The Door of San Juan


In 1634, the construction of these walls around San Juan began. Most of the ceremonies held in this door include the welcoming for the new governors and for the  new bishops. 




Museo del Niño


El Museo del Niño is located in front of the Catedral San Juan 

Bautista. It has three floors filled  with interactive activities for 


kids. It is an are where kids have  tons of fun and learn at the same


 time.





San Juan Cathedral

The original cathedral in what was the city of Puerto Rico  was constructed from wood in 1521. It was destroyed by a hurricane and the current structure constructed in 1540, being reshaped in later centuries, the most recent being 1917.




Hotel El Convento



At first it was a monastery and then it was turned into a hotel by Robert Woolworth in 1959. In The 90’s it was renovated again and made intos el Hotel El Convento.








 Cementerio Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis




Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery, named in honor of Saint Maria Magdalena de Pazzi, is a cemetery in Old San Juan. This cementary is the resing place to many of Puerto Rico's most distinguished leaders that have influenced the island in meaningful ways.



José Gautier Benìtez

Influential post-Romanticism poet in Puerto Rico. To such extent, that he is also known as "The Puerto Rican Becquer. He died with thirty-two years of age.




Pedro Albizu Campos


Pedro Albizu Campos was a Puerto Rican attorney and politician, and the
leading figure in the 
Puerto Rican independence movement.




José Julian Acosta

Well known journalist that favored the abolishment movement. In 1867, he was a member of the Puerto Rican commission. Later on in 1870, he became a member of the Liberal Reformist Party. In 1873, he was president of the Liberal Reformist Party. 


Alejandro Tapia y Rivera

Alejandro Tapia y Rivera was a Puerto Rican poet, dramaturg, essayist and writer. Tapia is considered to be the father of Puerto Rican literature and as the person who has contributed the most to the cultural advancement of Puerto Rico's literature. In addition to his writing, he was also a abolitionist and a women's rights advocate.



La Casa Rosa
















The house are build in 1812 as a barrack for the troops assigned to the San Agustin Bastion. It was converted to an officers quarters in 1881 by the Spanish Army.




 


La Rogativa
Plazuela de la Rogativa. Also know as the Plaza of the Religious Procession, features a modern sculpture depicting a procession of religious women commemorates an event that took place on the site in 1797.



Legend, British troops were laying siege to San Juan on the night of April 30, 1797. The townswomen, led by a bishop, formed a Rogativa prayer procession and marched throughout the streets of the city - singing hymns, carrying torches, and praying for the deliverance of the city.




  La Capilla Del Cristo

The chapel of the Christ, had its origin in the 18th century. In 1730 is one of the most expressive of the city of San Juan. Street where is located was called Santa Catalina, until the accident occurred where the captain of horse armour don Baltazar Montañez and Mujica, it fell with his horse from of the most high of the wall in the careers of the feasts of St. Peter to the 18th century, and the captain managed to live after the accident. After that the street changed the name to the Calle del Cristo.


Parque de las Palomas
The Parque de las Palomas is located in old San Juan. Its name comes from the hundreds of pigeons that live there and wait all the days be fed by visitors. It has benches where you can enjoy a beautiful view starring the Bay of San Juan. Next to the Park is the Chapel of the Christ. 



Teatro Tapia
The theater officially opened in 1832 with a recital by English tenor William Pearan and his wife Ann. Four years later, it became the property of the San Juan municipal government and was named Teatro Municipal.
In 1937, the theater was renamed Teatro Tapia, to pay homage to Alejandro Tapia y Rivera, an illustrious Puerto Rican playwright.

Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico
In 1917, the Antiguo Casino was originally designed as the first social club for the growing Puerto Rican society at the time. Founding members envisioned a club where professional and socialites’ would feel welcomed, serviced and pampered.  
The Casino of Puerto Rico was built just before World War I. The exterior in the style of French mansions of the Louis XVI era, a copper copula, a large ballroom with elaborate plaster work.










End of the royal trail where the ocean becomes bay




San Juan Bay. It is the busiest ocean port in the Caribbean, bringing in half of the region's trade and over one million cruise ship visitors a year. Bayside ships carry everything from gold jewelry to island arts and crafts. At Casa Don Q Puerto Rico located across the street from Pier 1.

  




When your walking through this trail side by side with the walls of La Muralla de San Juan, until the bay unites with the Atlantic Ocean.
The End (pun intended)