San Juan, a historical capital with sumptuous architecture
With more than 400 colonial-style structures, the Old San Juan neighborhood, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, has some of the finest examples of Spanish colonial architecture in the New World. For the 1992 festivities, the authorities undertook a major renovation of some of the buildings. In the streets of Santo Cristo or Fortaleza, you will quickly fall under the charm of the facades painted in raspberry red, turquoise blue, lemon yellow, pastel pink of the old colonial houses. These old houses, with their superb balconies and wrought ironwork, line the blue cobblestones of the 16th century streets of Viejo San Juan. Walking along the waterfront on the Paseo del Morro to the tip of the peninsula, you will discover the impressive Castillo San Felipe del Morro or El Morro. During the colonial era, the port of San Juan became the first port of call for Spanish trade in the Caribbean and was of great importance to the military power. For the Spanish crown, it was urgent to ensure the protection of this nascent trade. In honor of King Philip II of Spain, the conquistadors built the Castillo San Felipe del Morro in 1539. The construction of its massive sandstone walls and fortresses lasted 250 years and the fort was completed in 1797. This emblematic citadel, which rises 43 meters above sea level on the northwestern tip of the island, guarded the bay of San Juan for more than four centuries. To repel the assaults of other colonial powers in the region, notably the British and the Dutch, Spain erected the largest fort ever built in the Americas between 1634 and 1765. It was the Castillo San Cristobal . Unlike other fortifications designed to withstand maritime attacks, San Cristobal was built to withstand land attacks and guarded the eastern entrance to San Juan with a powerful system of external networks. The Palacio de Santa Catalina, also known as La Fortaleza, is the oldest military building on the island. Built between 1533 and 1540 under Charles V to protect the entrance to the bay from European and native attacks, this small medieval fortress with its two towers has undergone numerous transformations over five centuries. Deemed obsolete, it was converted into the residence of the governor of Puerto Rico, which it still is today. It is the oldest official residence still in use in the Americas. the blue and white façade of this neoclassical palace dates back to the 19th century.
There are many squares and churches to discover in the old city. The Plaza de Armas , which houses the city hall, designed during the colonial period, is worth a look. At the entrance to Old San Juan, the marble-paved Plaza Colón surrounds the statue of Christopher Columbus, discoverer of America and Puerto Rico in 1493. To the south of Old San Juan is the Princesa, the former city jail built in 1837 (now the tourist office) that runs along the beautiful Paseo de la Princesa. The San José church and the San Juan Bautista cathedral are architectural rarities in the Greater Antilles. The Church of San José, whose construction began in 1532, is one of the earliest examples of 16th century Spanish Gothic architecture. The second church built in the Caribbean, it has undergone numerous transformations over the centuries. The sobriety of its lines and colors gives it an austere appearance while its interior is richly decorated, especially its Gothic ceiling which is quite admirable. This light-filled architectural masterpiece housed the remains of the city's founder, Ponce de León, for 350 years, from 1559 to 1836, when they were transferred to the Cathedral of San Juan. Erected in 1521 under the supervision of Alonso Manso, the initial structure was made of wood and covered with a thatched roof. Despite hurricanes and numerous attacks in the past, the current Gothic building looks very similar to the original built five centuries ago. It also houses the Colegio de Párvulos, the oldest Catholic elementary school in Puerto Rico built in 1865. On the heights of the city of San German stands the beautiful Santo Domingo de Porta Coeli church. It was originally designed as a monastery by the Dominicans in 1609. A chapel was added in 1692. This jewel of colonial architecture was the first Creole church built by the Spaniards in the New World.
To the east of the center, we find the influence of the neoclassical style of the 19th century on some prestigious buildings built around the Capitolio whose verticality of the columns and the bright white of the stones impress the visitor. Monumental with its columns and dome, this very elegant building completed in 1929 houses the Puerto Rican Parliament.
The skyline of San Juan extends in the business district of Hato Rey in the heart of the Golden Mile. Against the light, the numerous buildings lining the waterfront stand out and give the water a silvery sheen. The Carribean Sea View, a modernist tower built in 1970, is with its 102 meters the highest skyscraper in Puerto Rico.
The Ponce Creole
Ponce, the second largest city in the south of the island, developed its own style, the Ponce Creole, in the late 19th century. This style was called "Creole" because it was reminiscent of some of the houses in New Orleans. The elegantly decorated houses are designed to withstand hurricanes and enjoy the refreshing Caribbean breezes. They are inspired by French, Spanish and Caribbean traditions. This authentic Creole architecture with its warm colors is considered a national treasure. 500 million dollars have been allocated to the restoration and preservation of the old buildings in the heart of Ponce. Recognizable by their linear structure and mix of wood, stucco and masonry, the buildings feature large porches with Corinthian columns and wrought iron balconies. They can be seen in the central district of Ponce and date from the 1890s to the 1930s when the city was the hub of rum, sugar cane and shipping. Don't miss the beautiful neoclassical catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe completed in 1839 on the plaza Las Delicias and the colorful Parque de Bombas, the fire station, a marvel! On Calle Isabel, there are great examples of Criollo Ponceño (Ponce Creole) styles incorporating details of the Classical Revival, Spanish Revival and Victorian styles. The houses of Blas Silva, nicknamed "the architect of wedding cakes", were particularly appreciated by the wealthy classes. They are among the most beautiful of the Ponceño, the indigenous architecture of high style. Among his works is the Font-Ubides house (Monsanto Residence, 1913) in Calle Castillo number 34, easily recognizable with its circular porches. Its curvilinear forms and delicately ornamented facade are typical of nineteenth-century neoclassical architecture and feature Art Nouveau details. Other Ponce Creole works by Blas Silva include the Frau residence, also known as the Subirá Residence, located at 107 Calle Reina. Built in 1910, it is one of the symbols of the golden age of Ponce, once the cultural capital of Puerto Rico. The Ponceño architecture of this building results in a hybrid mix of refined influences. Silva reproduced the Arts and Crafts movement as well as the School of Fine Arts on the majestic façade. The columns are graceful and light, the porch is raised on a stone floor. Finally, the Salazar-Candal Residence, located on Calle Isabel number 53, which today houses the Ponce History Museum, was also designed by architect Blas Silva in 1911. The building, made of reinforced concrete, brick and stone with a corrugated iron roof, presents disparate architectural motifs because it was designed for both personal and professional use. While the family home is elevated and has an asymmetrical façade, delicately decorated with rococo motifs, the office, with its flat surfaces and simple contours, is built on the idea of a Moorish garrison
Around Ponce, the indigenous ceremonial centers of Tibes and Caguana will take you back before Columbus, to the time when the Taínos were the only indigenous people to occupy the island, which they then called Boriquen. The museum and the reconstructed village are worth seeing as well as the Amerindian archaeological sites. You will discover some vestiges of the indigenous rock art on monoliths and petroglyphs but also the Batéy (field) where the Taínos practiced a sacred ball game called the batú.
Some names of architecture to remember
Jorge Rigau, who was responsible for the birth of the University of Architecture and Polytechnic of Puerto Rico (1995). He is known for having built the fountain in the main square of the island of Vieques, the new entrance to the old cemetery of Vega Baja or the Spivak-Velilla Residence in Bayamón.
The other two great architects known in Puerto Rico are Andrés Mignucci and Klumb Henry. Andrés Mignucci designed, among other things, in Condado la Ventana al Mar (2004), a large public space erected on the beach facing the ocean between the hotels La Concha and Vanderbilt.
Klumb Henry, of German origin, is known for the construction of the campus of the University of Puerto Rico between 1946 and 1966, but also for the Hotel La Rada in San Juan and churches with very original structures such as the Iglesia del Carmen and San Martin de Porres in Cataño.
