| Recomended for: | Sightseeing, Family, Explorers |
| Hours of Operation: |
Monday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Wednesday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Thursday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Sunday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Tags: | Old San Juan, cathedral, Cristo St., street, plaza, Convento, hotel, gothic, original, ceilings, staircase, medieval, architecture, neoclassical, dome, naves, elliptical, chapel, tomb, Juan Ponce de León, conquistador |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Year Established:
1521 Description: The San Juan Cathedral is located midway through Del Cristo Street, overlooking a small plaza next to El Convento. The building began construction in 1521 in the Late Gothic style. Some of the original architectural components that remain to this day are: a vaulted tower, gothic ceilings, and a circular staircase and four rooms. These are rare examples of Medieval Architecture in the Americas. The cathedral was renovated in the Neoclassical Style of its façade which was completed in 1852. The plan shows three naves intersected by a transept with a central elliptical dome and six lateral chapels. Located near the transept is a marble tomb that holds the remains of Juan Ponce de León, the Spanish conquistador who colonized Puerto Rico. The tomb is one of Spanish sculptor Miguel Blay’s master works. It was placed in the cathedral to commemorate the four-hundred year anniversary of evangelization in 1912. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
