Old San Juan ( es, Viejo San Juan) is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the islet of San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Catedral, Marina, Mercado, San Cristóbal, and San Francisco sub-barrios (sub-districts) of barrio

San Juan Antiguo San Juan Antiguo (not to be confused with the historic district of Old San Juan which is located within this district), is a barrio located in the municipality of San Juan in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. San Juan Antiguo has 7 subbarrios. ...

in the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and the

historic History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

colonial district of the city of San Juan. This historic district is a National Historic Landmark District and is listed on the

United States National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

as the Old San Juan Historic District. Several historical buildings and structures, particularly

La Fortaleza La Fortaleza (lit., "The Fortress" ) is the 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 (Saint Catherine's Pala ...

, the city walls, and El Morro and San Cristóbal castles, have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1983. Historically the mixed use commercial and residential real estate in the main streets like Cristo Street, Fortaleza Street (north) from Tanca Street to the Governor’s Mansion is the most valuable in the area and it has kept its value and increased steadily through several years despite the past economic turmoils.

Location

Old San Juan is located on a small and narrow island which lies along the north coast, about from the east end of Puerto Rico, and is united to the mainland of Puerto Rico by three bridges. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and to the south by San Juan Bay (or "Bahia de San Juan")—which lies between the city and the mainland. On a promontory (Spanish: ''morro'') about high, at the west end of the island and commanding the entrance to the harbor, rise the battlements of Fort San Felipe del Morro, in which there is a lighthouse. The "Caño de San Antonio" lies to the southeast, where the island of Old San Juan connects to the mainland through Santurce, by three bridges, "Puente Dos Hermanos" (Ashford Avenue), "Puente G. Esteves" ( Ponce de León Avenue) and "Puente San Antonio" (Fernández Juncos Avenue). The city is characterized by its narrow, blue

cobblestone Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct f ...

streets, and flat-roofed brick and stone buildings, which date back to the 16th and 17th centuries—when Puerto Rico was a Spanish possession. Near Fort San Felipe del Morro, is the Casa Blanca, a palace built on land which belonged to the family of

Ponce de León Ponce may refer to: *Ponce (surname) * *Ponce, Puerto Rico, a city in Puerto Rico ** Ponce High School ** Ponce massacre, 1937 * USS ''Ponce'', several ships of the US Navy *Manuel Ponce, a Mexican composer active in the 20th century * British sla ...

History

Origins

In 1508,

Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santervá ...

founded the original settlement, Caparra (named after the

Province of Cáceres The province of Cáceres ( ; es, provincia de Cáceres, ) is a province of western Spain, and makes up the northern half of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Its capital is the city of Cáceres. Other cities in the province include Pl ...

, Spain, birthplace of the then-governor of Spain's Caribbean territories, Nicolás de Ovando). The ruins of Caparra are known as the Pueblo Viejo sector of

Guaynabo Guaynabo (, ) is a city, suburb of San Juan and municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas, south of Cataño, east of Bayamón, and west of San Juan. Guaynabo is sprea ...

, behind the almost land-locked harbor just to the west of the present San Juan metropolitan area. In 1509, the settlement was abandoned and moved to a site which was called at the time "Puerto Rico" (meaning "rich port" or "good port"), a name that evoked that of a similar geographical harbor in the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. In 1521, the name "San Juan" was added, and the newer settlement was given its formal name of "San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico", following the usual custom of christening the town with both its formal name and the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the islands, honoring John the Baptist.

Expansion and growth

Constructed in 1521, Casa Blanca served as the first fortification of the settlement and residence of

descendants, until the mid-eighteenth century. La Fortaleza was built between 1533 and 1540, which was followed by the construction of a battery at "the Morro." Plans for the castle portion of San Felipe del Morro were made in 1584. Extensions to the Morro, plus construction of El Cañuelo, and El Boquerón, were made between 1599 and 1609.

Circumvallation Investment is the military process of surrounding an enemy fort (or town) with armed forces to prevent entry or escape. It serves both to cut communications with the outside world and to prevent supplies and reinforcements from being introduced. ...

of the city commenced in 1630 and was concluded by 1641. San Cristobal fort was completed by 1771. By 1776, the population totaled 6000, half of which were soldiers. The garrison town of San Juan included 250 acres of military installations and 62 acres of public and private use. By 1781, the city's fortifications included 376 cannon. By 1876, 24,000 lived inside the walls of San Juan, encompassing 62 acres, and 926 buildings. Prior to the 19th century, the area outside the city walls occupying the east side of Old San Juan Island, was almost uninhabited. In 1838 the so-called area of

Puerta de Tierra Puerta de Tierra is a ''subbarrio'' (subdistrict) occupying the eastern portion of the Islet of San Juan and the ''barrio'' of San Juan Antiguo in the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The name Puerta de Tierra ( Spanish for ''land gate'') ...

(or "Land Gate") had a population of 168 residents, mainly of African descent. According to a census made in 1846, the population had risen to 223 inhabitants living in 58 houses. On March 3, 1865, the municipal government of San Juan approved a resolution promoting the city expansion across the Puerta de Tierra which included the plan for demolishing the city walls along the eastern side. On May 28, 1897, the wall demolition was officially started after a proclamation was issued by Queen Maria Christina. By the year 1899, the population of Puerta de Tierra had risen to 5,453; while the area comprising the old walled city had a civilian population of roughly 18,103 inhabitants.

Maintaining architectural integrity

During the late 1940s, disrepair in the old city was evident. The local authorities were considering development proposals for renovating the old city and incorporating modern architecture on new constructions. Anthropologist

Ricardo Alegría Ricardo E. Alegría Gallardo (April 14, 1921 – July 7, 2011) was a Puerto Rican scholar, cultural anthropologist and archaeologist known as the "father of modern Puerto Rican archaeology". Early years Alegría was born in San Juan, Puerto Ric ...

vehemently advised against the idea of razing old colonial buildings in favor of contemporary building designs. He followed the example suggested by his father, a local civic leader who had successfully prevented the demolition of the ''

Capilla del Cristo ''Capilla del Cristo'' (Chapel of Christ), also called is a small chapel / museum located in the Old San Juan Historic District of Puerto Rico. Built in the 18th century and saved from demolition in the 20th century, the structure has become a c ...

'' in favor of a traffic redesign. He advised mayor Rincón de Gautier in having local zoning laws changed to favor remodeling and the incorporation of Spanish colonial motifs in any new construction. This helped preserve the city's architectural profile, and has been a key to San Juan's current status as a tourist destination. Restaurant near Capilla del Cristo - San Juan, Puerto Rico.JPG, Restaurant with Capilla del Cristo seen in the background Old San Juan stepped alley, Puerto Rico.jpg, Traditional '' callejón'' in Old San Juan Plaza de Armas, San Juan, Puerto Rico.JPG,

Plaza de Armas, San Juan The Plaza de Armas of San Juan is one of the main squares in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. It is located on San José Street in Old San Juan, and was designed to serve as the original main square for the city. San Juan City Hall is loca ...

Catedral de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico - DSC06869.JPG, Cathedral of San Juan Bautista Puerta San Juan SJU 06 2019 8666.jpg, The San Juan Gate, main entrance to the walled city Buildings in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico - DSC07125.JPG, Traditional doors seen in Old San Juan Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery.jpeg, The old cemetery. Castillo San Felipe in the background Polo Norte viejo san juan puerto rico 2021-08-08 08-43-13 1.jpg, Polo Norte, Calle de Tetuan, Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico

Luis Muñoz Marín José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín (February 18, 1898April 30, 1980) was a Puerto Rican journalist, politician, statesman and was the first elected governor of Puerto Rico, regarded as the "Architect of the Puerto Rico Commonwealth." In 1948 he ...

, as a senator and later as governor of Puerto Rico, supported and implemented what became known as

Operation Bootstrap Operation Bootstrap ( es, Operación Manos a la Obra) is the name given to a series of projects which transformed the economy of Puerto Rico into an industrial and developed one. The federal government of the United States together with what is ...

, which included the development of the tourism industry. In 1948 the government invited one of the organizers of Colonial Williamsburg to lead its tourism development efforts. These efforts were further supported by the 1955 creation of the

Institute of Puerto Rican Culture The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture ( es, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña), or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preser ...

(''Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña'') head by Alegría. He sought legal and administrative changes that would allow for major remodeling efforts to be successful. At the time, most real estate in Old San Juan had devalued under appraised values because the city was perceived as unsafe (particularly because of building disrepair and social ills such as prostitution) and not profitable for business (because of rent control statutes, as well as the reluctance of commercial banks to fund remodeling). Under combined efforts by the institute and the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico, "model" remodelings were made to show potential property owners how their renewed properties could look. Strict remodeling codes were implemented to prevent new constructions from affecting the common colonial Spanish architectural themes of the old city. As with other Operation Bootstrap projects, mainland corporate investors were lured in with tax breaks and other incentives. When a project proposal suggested that the old Carmelite Convent in San Juan be demolished to erect a new hotel, the Institute had the building declared a historic building, and asked that it be converted to a hotel in a renewed facility. As in other Operation Bootstrap projects, the Woolworth family was invited in 1957 to reconstruct the former convent (which had more recently been a low-rent apartment building and city garage) into the luxury ''

Hotel El Convento Hotel El Convento is a small hotel in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, in what was a Carmelite convent, adjoining the San Juan Cathedral square. The cathedral is the second-oldest cathedral in the Western Hemisphere. Hotel El Convento is the oldest me ...

''. The Bank provided low interest loans to remodelers, and the government gave triple tax exemptions to commercial activities in the old city (they were exempted for a limited time, not only from property taxes and municipal taxes, but from income tax from activities generated in their properties as well). At least one retailer from the shopping district in Charlotte Amalie was given incentives to set up shop in the ''Calle del Cristo'' (the city's red light district during the early 1940s) in order to persuade other retailers to follow suit and somehow "clean up" the district. Potential developers were offered sketches of their properties after a remodeling, as to suggest which architectural elements to improve or change. The paradigm to reconstruct and renovate the old city and revitalize it has been followed by other cities in Latin America, particularly Havana, Lima and

Cartagena de Indias Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, bordering the Caribbean sea. Cartagena's past role as a lin ...

Historic designations

Flag gate calle de la virtud viejo san juan puerto rico 2021-08-08 17-18-27 1

The San Juan National Historic Site was established in 1949 to preserve historic fortifications in Old San Juan. The historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

along with the San Juan National Historic Site were then declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) in 1983. The ''casco histórico'' (old city within the city walls) of San Juan was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 2013.

Landmarks and attractions

La Fortaleza and the San Juan National Historic District sites

* San Cristóbal Castle (Spanish: '' Castillo San Cristóbal''), the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the Americas, which provided defense against both land-based and sea attacks by pirates and foreign powers during the colonial period. * San Felipe del Morro Castle (Spanish: ''

Castillo San Felipe del Morro Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as El Morro, is a citadel built between 16th and 18th centuries in San Juan, Puerto Rico.ww ...

'', or just ''El Morro''), a 16th century citadel in the northwestern edge of the islet that provided defense against foreign and pirate attacks during the Spanish colonization, also the site of a historic lighthouse. * Santa Catalina Palace, popularly known as

(Spanish for ''the fortress''), a former fortification and currently the official residence of the governor of Puerto Rico. It is the oldest executive residence in the Western Hemisphere. * The San Juan City Walls surround Old San Juan and it gives the city one of its nicknames, "La ciudad amurallada" (''the walled city''). About 3/4 of the city walls remain intact but only one of the city gates remain in existence. San Juan is one of the six cities under United States jurisdiction that possessed defensive walls and it is the only US city that still preserves its colonial defensive wall system.

Plazas and squares

Street art, statues in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

* Paseo de La Princesa (Spanish for ''promenade of the princess'') is a famous promenade named after the former La Princesa Prison. It extends for a quarter of a mile and runs along the southern city wall of Old San Juan. It provides views of San Juan's city walls and San Juan Bay, and it is a popular location that becomes very lively during festivals and other cultural celebrations. A boardwalk at the end of the promenade connects it to Puerta de San Juan (the San Juan City Gate), formerly known as Puerta de Agua (Spanish for ''water gate''), the only remaining city gate. *

Plaza Colón Plaza Colón is the main plaza in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. This plaza and its fountain commemorate the explorer Christopher Columbus, whose name in Spanish was Cristóbal Colón. The plaza presents the traditional urban relationship ...

(Spanish for ''Columbus square'' or ''plaza'') is located in the eastern end of Old San Juan where the former eastern city walls used to be located. Originally named Santiago Square, the plaza is now a popular meeting place for locals and tourists as it is located next to famous landmarks such as the San Cristóbal castle and the Tapia Theater. *

Plaza de Armas The ''Plaza de Armas'' (literally Weapons Square, but better translated as Parade Square or parade ground) is the name for Latin American main squares. In the central region of Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo and in Central America ...

is the main town square of San Juan where several administrative buildings such as the historic San Juan City Hall are located. A ''

plaza de armas The ''Plaza de Armas'' (literally Weapons Square, but better translated as Parade Square or parade ground) is the name for Latin American main squares. In the central region of Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo and in Central America ...

'' is a large square often found in Spanish-founded cities across the Americas and the Philippines that were originally intended for military parades, hence the name "plaza de armas" (literally ''arms'' or ''weapons square''). * Plaza de la Catedral (English: ''Cathedral Square''), popularly known as Plazuela Las Monjas, is located south of Hotel El Convento and west of the main entrance to San Juan's cathedral. * Plaza de San José (English: ''San José Squar''e), formerly known as Plaza de Santo Domingo, is located next to San José Church. It is also a popular meeting place due to its location next to restaurants and other businesses important to Old San Juan's nightlife. The statue of Ponce de León located in the center of the square is famous for being built from melted British cannons obtained after

Sir Ralph Abercromby Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby (7 October 173428 March 1801) was a British soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was appointed Governor of Trinidad, served as Commander-in-Chief, Ire ...

's failed attempt to capture San Juan. *

Plaza del Quinto Centenario Plaza del Quinto Centenario (Spanish for 'Square of the Fifth Centenary'), also Plaza del V Centenario, popularly referred to as Plaza del Tótem ('Totem Square'), is a modern square in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, inaugurated in 1992 to commemorat ...

(English: Square of the Fifth Centenary) is a modern square built to commemorate the 500th year anniversary of San Juan and the European discovery of Puerto Rico and the Americas. The square is located next to the Ballajá Barracks and El Morro. * Plazuela de la Rogativa is a small plaza located close to La Fortaleza that is famous for the bronze sculpture of ''La Rogativa''. The sculpture, completed by New Zealand artist Lindsay Daen in 1971, portrays "La Rogativa" (Spanish for ''the pleading''), from a legend that says that the British invasion lead by Sir Abercromby was foiled thanks to a pleading procession lead by the bishop of San Juan and a group of women carrying torches. The story states that the British mistook the procession for Spanish reinforcements. * Parque de las Palomas (Spanish for ''park of the pigeons''), despite its name is a public plaza rather than a park located at the end of ''Calle del Cristo'' next to the

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

of the same name. In addition to the wonderful views of San Juan and the bay that this space offers, the plaza is famous, specially among children, for the numerous

pigeons Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

that live there. There are vendors who sell bird food to feed the pigeons.

Churches and religious buildings

* San Juan Cathedral, officially the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist (Spanish: ''Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de San Juan Bautista''), the Catholic cathedral and one of the oldest buildings in Old San Juan. It is considered the oldest cathedral in the United States and the second oldest cathedral in the Americas (after the Santo Domingo Cathedral in the Dominican Republic). It contains various relics and tombs, including that of

Juan Ponce de Leon ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, ...

. *

San José Church San José Church ( es, Iglesia de San José), located in Old San Juan within the historic colonial zone of the capital of Puerto Rico, is one of the first significant works of architecture on the island. The church is one of the earliest surviving ...

(Spanish: ''Iglesia de San José'') is one of the most important architectural landmarks of Old San Juan and the earliest surviving example of 16th century Spanish Gothic architecture in the Americas. The church was closed for renovation for many years and it reopened for visitors and religious services in 2021. * Saint Francis of Assisi Church (Spanish: ''Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís'') is a Catholic parish church located in the San Francisco sub-barrio of Old San Juan. *

Santa Ana Church The Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned, also known as the Santa Ana Church and newly declared as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Spanish: ''Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados''), is a Spanish colonial period chu ...

(Spanish: ''Iglesia de Santa Ana'') is an often-missed historical 17th century church located on Tetuán Street. * Santo Cristo de la Salud Chapel (Spanish: ''Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud''), popularly known as

, a small 18th century chapel which was saved from demolition in the 20th century that has become a famous landmark and cultural symbol of Puerto Rico and its folklore. The chapel also houses a small museum.

Museums

* Casa Blanca (Spanish for ''white house'') is a house museum located in a historical fortification which was the official residence of Juan Ponce de León and his family. * Casa Rosa (Spanish for ''pink house'') is a historical house and former military barracks which once housed a museum for traditional arts and crafts. Today it operates as a daycare center and cannot be visited without previous arrangements. * Pablo Casals Museum located in the former home of Pablo Casals dedicated to the famous composer and cellist which also contains his piano, some of his musical instruments and a media and music library. * The Puerto Rico National Gallery or

Galería Nacional Galería Nacional (National Gallery) located in Old San Juan within the historic colonial section of the capital of Puerto Rico, houses the largest collection of Puerto Rican paintings from the eighteenth century to the 1960s. The museum is locate ...

houses one of the largest collections of Puerto Rican paintings and it is located in a former Dominican Order monastery. * The

Ballajá Barracks The Ballajá Barracks (''Cuartel de Ballajá'' in Spanish) is a historic building and former military barracks located in the Ballajá section of Old San Juan, in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is located close to El Morro and its esplan ...

(Spanish: ''Cuartel de Ballajá'') were military barracks which now house several important museums such as Museo de Las Américas (English: ''Museum of the Americas''), in addition to a library, music and dance schools, and spaces for cultural events.

La Perla

La Perla (Spanish for ''the pearl'') is a former shanty town or informal settlement located along the northern section of the historic San Juan city walls. Originally the site of slaughterhouses, the area was later settled by freed slaves and non-white servants in the 18th century. In the 20th century the community grew to become a neighborhood of Old San Juan and its reputation has recently transformed from a dangerous place into a cultural hub. It has appeared on films, literature, TV shows and music videos.

Other places of interest

Ateneo Puertorriqueño The Ateneo Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican Athenaeum), is a cultural institution in Puerto Rico. Founded on April 30, 1876, it has been called Puerto Rico's oldest cultural institution, however, it is actually its third oldest overall and second c ...

(Spanish for ''Puerto Rican Athenaeum'') is a cultural institution that often hosts cultural events. *El Mundo Building (Spanish: Edificio ''El Mundo'') is the former headquarters of the now defunct El Mundo newspaper. The building is a protected historic site and is famous for its architecture. *

is a small hotel located in a historical

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

convent (San José of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Monastery) next to the San Juan Cathedral. The building is of architectural importance and it is a member of

Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was founded in 1989 with 32 charter members; the program accepts nominations and identifies hotels that have maintained their authenticity, sense of pla ...

. * Jose V. Toledo Federal Building and United States Courthouse is a historic post office building located in the south of Old San Juan famous for its

Spanish Colonial Revival The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In the ...

architecture. *Patio Español Building, also known as ''La Filarmonica'' building, is an eclectic Mission/Spanish revival-style building from 1937 which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2005. * Puerto Rico School of Plastic Arts and Design (Spanish: ''Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico'') is a tertiary

art school An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-second ...

founded by the

located in a historical building next to El Morro fortress. * San Juan Coast Guard Station is a

USCG The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

station located in the port of San Juan close to the cruise ship docks. In addition to law enforcement its main purpose is to escorts of cruise ships and some Navy assets entering and departing San Juan Bay. The former U.S. Custom House and the former arsenal located nearby are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. *

Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery __NOTOC__ The Santa María 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 ...

(Spanish: ''Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis'') is a colonial-era cemetery located next to La Perla and El Morro. It is also the final resting place of numerous figures from Puerto Rico's history and culture such as nationalist leader

Pedro Albizu Campos Pedro Albizu Campos (September 12, 1891Luis Fortuño Janeiro. ''Album Histórico de Ponce (1692–1963).'' p. 290. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Imprenta Fortuño. 1963. – April 21, 1965) was a Puerto Rican attorney and politician, and the leading fi ...

, Puerto Rico statehood activist

José Celso Barbosa José Celso Barbosa Alcala (July 27, 1857 – September 21, 1921) was a Puerto Rican physician, sociologist and political leader. Known as the father of the statehood movement in Puerto Rico, Barbosa was the first Puerto Rican, and one of the ...

, and actors José and Miguel Ferrer. * Tapia Theater (Spanish: ''Teatro

Alejandro Tapia y Rivera Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander. Alejandro has multiple variations in different languages, including Aleksander (Czech, Polish), Alexandre ( French), Alexandros (Greek), Alsander ( Irish), Alessandro (Italian), Aleksandr (R ...

'') is the oldest free-standing theater in San Juan and one of the oldest theaters in the Caribbean. It is located on Plaza Colón. * The Old Casino (Spanish: '' Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico'') is a former casino and current venue for cultural events and private weddings.

Today

With its abundance of shops, historic places, museums, open air cafés, restaurants, colorful homes, tree-shaded plazas, and its old beauty and

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...

peculiarity, Old San Juan is a main spot for domestic and international tourism. The district is characterized by numerous public plazas, which are filled with local shops that sell traditional craftwork, sculptures and typical musical instruments. Moreover, Old San Juan is known for its historical churches, such as

and the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, which contains the tomb of the Spanish explorer and first European to discover modern day Florida,

. Tourists' main spot to visit at Old San Juan is Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a fort built by the Spaniards when settled on the Island. Besides the magnificent fort, tourists are drawn to La Perla, a colorful neighborhood outside of the historic city wall. Old San Juan is one of the two ''barrios'', in addition to Santurce, that made up the municipality of San Juan after 1864 and prior to 1951, in which the former independent municipality of Río Piedras was annexed.

Blockhouses and subbarrios

The oldest parts of the district of Old San Juan remain partly enclosed by massive walls. Several defensive structures and notable forts, such as the Fort San Felipe del Morro, Castle of San Cristóbal, and ''el Palacio de Santa Catalina'' (also known as

), acted as the primary defense of the settlement which has been subjected to numerous attacks. La Fortaleza continues to serve also as the executive mansion for the Governor of Puerto Rico. Many of the historic fortifications are part of San Juan National Historic Site. Old San Juan's land area roughly correlates to the following subbarrios of barrio San Juan Antiguo: Ballajá, Catedral, Marina, Mercado, San Cristóbal, and San Francisco.

Public transportation

Old San Juan is the location for one of two transportation hubs serving Metropolitan San Juan. At one time, a free trolley provided limited service to Old San Juan seven days a week but is not available any longer. People get around the city on foot or by car. There have been plans to turn the historic district into a pedestrian-only zone, and to either rebuild the trolley system or build a new light-rail train system in the recent years.

Popular culture

Old San Juan is the setting for films, books, song lyrics and music videos, including the following: *

Noel Estrada Noel Epinanio Estrada Suárez (June 4, 1918 – December 1, 1979) was a Puerto Rican composer. He was the author of " En mi Viejo San Juan", a song "widely known around the world". Early years Estrada was born in the town of Isabela, Puerto ...

, a Puerto Rican composer, wrote the popular song " En mi Viejo San Juan" in 1943. The song has been recorded by over 1,000 times by artists around the world, including many Puerto Rican musicians such as Trio Vegabajeño,

Danny Rivera Danny Rivera (born 27 February 1945) is a singer and songwriter born in San Juan whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is well known in Puerto Rico for his political activism. In 2008, Rivera acquired Dominican Republic citizenship. After 12 y ...

, Marc Anthony,

Luis Miguel Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (born 19 April 1970) is a Puerto Rican-born Mexican singer, often referred to as ''El Sol de México'' (The Sun of Mexico), which is the nickname his mother gave him as a child—"mi sol". Luis Miguel has sung in mu ...

, José Feliciano, among many others. * '' The Rum Diary'', a film starring Johnny Depp, based on Hunter S. Thompson's novel of the same name was filmed in Old San Juan; the film is set in the 1960s. *

United States of Banana ''United States of Banana'' (2011) is a postmodern allegorical novel by the Puerto Rican author Giannina Braschi. It is a cross-genre work that blends experimental theatre, prose poetry, short story, and political philosophy with a manifesto on ...

(2011), a geopolitical tragicomedy about Puerto Rican independence by

Giannina Braschi Giannina Braschi (born February 5, 1953) is a Puerto Rican poet, novelist, dramatist, and scholar. Her notable works include '' Empire of Dreams'' (1988), '' Yo-Yo Boing!'' (1998) ''and United States of Banana'' (2011). Braschi writes cross-g ...

, has battle scenes set in old San Juan, including

, La Perla,

El Capitolio El Capitolio, or the National Capitol Building (''Capitolio Nacional de La Habana''), is a public edifice in Havana, the capital of Cuba. The building was commissioned by Cuban president Gerardo Machado and built from 1926 to 1929 under the d ...

, El Morro, and El Escambron beach. * Music videos by

Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for multiple songs, one of them being " Despacito" featuring rapper Daddy Yankee. Fonsi received his first ...

, Pet Shop Boys, Daddy Yankee, Ricky Martin,

Bad Bunny Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (born March 10, 1994), known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. His musical style is defined as Latin trap and reggaeton. He rose to prominence in 2016 with his song "Diles", wh ...

, and Marc Anthony are set in Old San Juan. The song

Despacito "Despacito" (; "Slowly") is a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee as the lead single from Fonsi's 2019 studio album '' Vida''. Released on January 12, 2017, the song was written by Fonsi ...

, which won Latin Grammy Awards for

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

, Song of the Year, Best Urban Fusion/Performance, and

Best Short Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

. The music video of "

" featured La Perla.

References

External links

''Ultimate Guide to Old San Juan,''
* . Retrieved 2008-04-24.

* ttp://urban-kibbutz.com/index.php?title=Real_Estate UrbanKibbutz (Old San Juan) {{DEFAULTSORT:Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Old San Juan Old San Juan ( es, Viejo San Juan) is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the islet of San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Catedral, Marina, Mercado, San Cristóbal, and San Francisco sub-barrios ( ...

History of San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico Districts of San Juan, Puerto Rico National Register of Historic Places in San Juan, Puerto Rico National Historic Landmarks in Puerto Rico Tourist attractions in San Juan, Puerto Rico World Heritage Sites in the United States Populated places established in 1509 City walls Busking venues Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico