Door
of San Juan
It was constructed betwenn years 1631 and
1635. The design and the construction of the
door was a work of Juan Baptist Antonelly
III. When the Spanish soldiers arrived from
the battles, they entered by this door because
it was located in front of the Cathedral.
When they arrived, they went directly to the
Cathedral to thank God they have arrived with
life. Actually it is the only door that exists.
The tree that is located in the Isabel the
Second Square is the laurel of India.
The “Rogativa” Square / “Plazuela
La Rogativa”
This sculpture was built in representatin
of an English seige in 1797. The woman of
the ciy, headed by the bishop, celebrated
a public prayer (“rogativa”) for
the liberation of the capital city. The English
seige was not successful because they saw
the ignited torches, and they thought tthat
the Spaniard had sent reinforcements and therefor
the English troops retired from the bay. |
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San
Felipe del Morro Castle
Is the most imposing of our historial monuments.
Its construction began in 1539 and it extended
almost by three centuries. It was competed
in 1787. It hs been witness of significant
events of the history of Puerto Rico. It was
a bastion of the San Juan defense against
the foreign attacts to Puerto Rico. In 1595,
was the key in the defeat that the Spanish
troops inflicted to the English squad of Sir
Francis Drake.
The English pirate George Clifford, Cumberland
Count, managed to conquer San Juan in 1598,
after invading the Island by Cangrejos area,
to avoid the defenses of “El Morro”.
An epidemic of disenteria debilitated the
English and it forced them to leave San Juan
after two months of occupation.
In 1625, the Dutch General Balduino Enrico,
deceived the line of fire of “El Morro”
and managed the disembark in the capital.
The Governor Juan de Haro refuesed to surrender.
He intrenched his troops in “El Morro”
and from there the resistance was organized.
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Finally, Enrico fulfilled his menace to burn
San Juan, while he stopped his invading arrangements.
When his fleet left the bay, was completely
distroyed by cannons from “El Morro”
and “El Cañuelo”.In addition
to military strength, “El Morro”
was used as prison by the Spanish government.
Its feared cells lodged numerous civilians
and military prisoners.
In 1887, the Spanish Governor Romualdo Palacios,
untied a campaign of component persecution
and tortures against the Autonomist Movement
called “Componentes”. By suspicion
and conspiracy against Spain, Ramón
Baldorioty de Castro was jailed in “El
Morro”, nest to the other 15 autonomists.
In May 12, 1898, a Military Navy fleet of
the United States, in command of Admiral Sampson,
bombed the City of San Juan. Although there
were only two deaths, many of the old buildings
suffered damages. After the invasion, “El
Morro” was used as a military headquarter
of the United States Army. “El Morro”
was known as Brook Fort. |
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