The city of old San Juan for several centuries stood as a military stronghold that defended the city from attacks of pirates and other European countries. Today an amazing historical town stands on a small inlet overlooking the adorned colorful buildings with the splendor and architectural beauty. A blend of old colorful structures and elegance of old San Juan is what sets apart this magical city from any other Caribbean island. The decorative Spanish tiles and curvy staircases eloquently complementing one another.
Old town is the city has served as the perfect and most suited destination for it's rich blend Puerto-Rican food. This five century old colonial city is simply a mirror that reflex's cities such as Barcelona and Cartagena. It forms the bond that unites us all in a rich culture that feeds on all aspects of traditions and more important a language that embodies a dialect with a blend of African and Taino influences.
And last, La plaza Colon, a statue rising above forty-feet high,alongside a beautifully adored square that is sorrounded by a cluster of colonial buildings. The city so well preserved in a history that stems beyond than just the rising statue of Cristobal Columbus. The invigorating history of a man, a navigator fron genoa, who sailed five centuries ago becoming the first European to discover the new continent. The three famous caravels shown above, La Nina, La pinta, La Santa Maria. It was on November 19th, 1493, on the second voyager when Christobal Columbus landed in Borinquen and discovered the island and named it San Juan Bautista.
La plaza Santiago once had stood a statue of Conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, but in 1893 the statue was replaced by Christobal colon. Today Juan Ponce de Leon sculpture, who once had governed the island of Puerto Rico is observed at the very high peak of the hilltop across Plaza San Jose. During Colonial time, the gate of Santiago allowed access for merchants and civilians becoming the only main entrance to access the city by land. In Spanish It was nicknamed " Puerta de Tierra" and after ensuing years of military conflicts and battle to defend the San Juan city, in 1897 the time had come. The desicion was made to finally demolish the Santiago gate and other important defenses that played out a vital role to a long-lasting history stemming from its early founded settlement in 1521.
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