Indian River Lagoon - Ponce de Leon - Melbourne Beach, Florida, - National Scenic Byways on Waymarking.com

Honourable Discoverer of Florida, Juan Ponce de Leon.

The landmark feature in this park is a stunning, larger than life bronze sculpture of 'Juan Ponce de Leon' Discoverer of Florida. Located at the possible vicinity of Ponce de Leon's landing on the Atlantic Coast in 1513. He is now believed to have landed at Melbourne Beach, Florida.

The Park also features a 3D Mural showing Ponce de Leon' landing, Florida Historic Sign, and several information plaques.

The detailed bronze sculpture stands over 10 feet tall, on a polished black granite plinth. Ponce de Leon is posed, holding a Latin Cross aloft and forward with right hand, and a scroll in his left hand, his crooked arm is lowered to his side. The sculptor has him dressed in traditional European nobleman clothes of the period 500 years ago, and wearing an ornate sword on his proper left side.

Rafael Picon - The Artist's Web Site, Gives a very detailed description, of the methods used to construct this sculpture, which took four years. Please see link. (visit link)

A historic marker located near the sculpture reads as follows:
"While there is disagreement among scholars, it is believed that this site may be in an area where Juan Ponce de Leon made landfall in April 1513. It has long been thought that this event took place near St. Augustine, based upon studies of de Leon's compass headings that did not account for the inability of 16th century navigators to accurately determine longitude, magnetic compass deviations, or the effects of the Gulf Stream and prevailing winds. Professional navigator Douglas Peck re-traced Juan Ponce de Leon's route in a sailboat, however, and found a more likely landing site. Peck, who sailed the same waters for 30 years, has an "intimate geographical knowledge of the route" Juan Ponce de Leon took. When he re-sailed the route at the same time of year as the 1513 voyage, he reached Florida's eastern shore at 28 degrees North Latitude and 80 degrees 29 minutes West Longitude, just south of Melbourne Beach. He can place the accuracy to within 5 to 8 Nautical Miles on either side of this navigational fix. Many historians now conclude that an area south of Melbourne Beach, such as this site, was a more probable location for Juan Ponce de Leon's first landing. This Brevard County Park, Juan Ponce de Leon Landing, was created in 2005."

Program: America's Byways Website: [Web Link] Official Name: Indian River Lagoon - National Scenic Byway

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