FIRST - Governor of Puerto Rico - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 18° 28.038 W 066° 07.096
19Q E 804357 N 2044312
A statue of the first Governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de León, is located in San José Plaza at the intersection of Calle San Sebastian and Calle del Cristo in Old San Juan.
Waymark Code: WM123NQ
Location: Puerto Rico
Date Posted: 02/19/2020
Views: 1
In the center of San José plaza there is a larger than life statue of the first Governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de León. The Spanish explorer and administrator is standing very high up on a 15' multi-tiered base. The statue was forged in New York in 1882 from cannons captured from the British after a successful defense of San Juan in 1797.
The Juan Ponce de León is depicted wearing a feathered hat, a shirt with ruffled cuff, elbow length coat, body armor, short trousers and thigh length boots. He is standing with his right arm outstretched and his index finger pointing forward. His right foot is slightly forward and is left hand is on his hip.
The 6' square base is decorated with garlands near the top. The base has four recessed, polish, and inscribed octagonal dados, one on each side. The inscriptions summarize the important events in the life of Juan Ponce de León.
The north dado is inscribed:
EL EXCMO AYUNTAMIENTO
À
JUAN PONCE DE LEON
CONQUISTADOR
Y PRIMER GOBERNADOR
DE ESTA YSLA
-.-
24 DE JUNIO DE 1882
THE EXECELLENCY CITY COUNCIL
TO
JUAN PONCE DE LEON
CONQUEROR
AND FIRST GOVERNOR OF THIS ISLAND
-.-
ON JUNE 24, 1882
The east dado is inscribed:
HERIDO EN LA FLORIDA
EN 1521
MURIO DE RESULTAS
A POCO DE LLEGAR A CUBA
WOUNDED IN THE FLORIDA
IN 1521
HE DIED OF AS A RESULT
SHORTLY AFTER REACHING CUBA
The south dado is inscribed:
VISITO LA YSLA
EN 1508
-.-
VOLVIO A POBLARLA
EN 1509
-.-
TEMINO SU CONQUISTA
EN 1511
VISITED THE ISLAND
IN 1508
-.-
HE RETURNED TO POPULATE IT
IN 1509
-.-
FINISHED HIS CONQUEST
IN 1511
The west dado is inscribed:
COMPANERO DE COLON
EN SU SEGUNDO VIAJE.
-.-
DESCUBRIDOR
Y PRIMER ADELANTADO
DE LA FLORIDA
E YSLAS DE BIMINI
COMPANION OF COLUMBUS
ON HIS SECOND VOYAGE.
-.-
DISCOVERER
AND FIRST REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KING
OF FLORIDA
AND ISLAND OF BIMINI
Juan Ponce de León was born in 1474 Santervás de Campos, Castile, Spain. He sailed to the New World with Columbus his on the second voyage to the New World. Later he explored was first to explore Florida.
He was the 1st, 3rd and 7th Governor of Puerto Rico, holding office in 1508–1509, 1510–1511, and 1515–1519. In 1521 he traveled to Florida. He was wounded by a poison arrow during a skirmish with the native people and died of his wounds in Havana, Cuba at the age of 46 or 47.
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