San Juan National Historic Site ( es, Sitio Histórico Nacional de San Juan) in the

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 (s ...

section of

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

, is a

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

-managed historic site which protects and interprets colonial-era forts such as

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 ...

, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall.

Status

By a February 14, 1949 decree the site was established, and noted the need to protect the fortifications as monuments as well as preserve their historical and architectural value. Listed on the

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 ...

on October 15, 1966. On December 6, 1983, the park and

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 Palac ...

were together designated a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

under the name "La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico" "because of its outstanding, universal cultural value." Only 12 national park areas in the United States are considered World Heritage Sites.

San Juan National Historic Site features

Site includes: * Castillo San Cristóbal *

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 ...

City Wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

* Fortín San Juan de la Cruz (El Cañuelo)

Gallery

Puerto Rico — San Juan — Castillo San Cristóbal (sign).JPG, San Juan National Historic Site sign (Castillo San Cristóbal) Min-16-sjnhs-entrada.jpg, Main offices of the San Juan National Historic Site

References

* ''The National Parks: Index 2001-2003''. Washington:

U.S. Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the man ...

External links

* Official NPS website
San Juan National Historic Site

{{Authority control 1949 establishments in Puerto Rico

Status

San Juan National Historic Site features

Gallery

See also

References

External links