Juan Ponce de León, Founder of San Juan - San Juan, PR - Ponce de León on Waymarking.com

Castillo de San Cristóbal is a major fortification built by the Spanish to fortify the entrance to San Juan Harbor. It is part of the National Park Service San Juan National Historic Site. At the entrance to this major tourist attraction in Old San Juan there is a very useful and interesting bronze tablet. It contains a detailed map of the streets of Old San Juan, a listing of points of interest and the history of the old city both in Spanish and in English. The first line of the plaque pays homage to Ponce de León as the founder of San Juan.

The right side has the emblem of Lions International with the English inscription:

HISTORIC SAN JUAN

THE CITY OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA WAS
FOUNDED BY JUAN PONCE DE LEON IN 1521

DURING THE MID XVI CENTURY THE GREAT WORK
OF FORTIFYING THE CITY BEGAN. THE TOWN
WAS ATTACKED BY THE ENGLISH IN 1595,
1598 AND 1797 AND BY THE DUTCH IN 1625.
AT THE END OF THE XVIII CENTURY, SAN
JUAN WAS A COMPLETELY WALLED CITY. A
STRONGHOLD FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE
SPANISH EMPIRE IN AMERICA.

HE COMPLEX OF MILITARY, RELIGIOUS,
CIVIL AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS OF
SAN JUAN IS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE
OF SPANISH COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
OF AMERICA.

The left side has the coat of arms of San Juan with the Spanish inscription:

SAN JUAN HISTORICO

LA CIUDAD DE SAN JUAN BAUTISTA FUE
FUNDADA EN 1521 POR JUAN PONCE DE LEÓN.

A MEDIADOS DEL SIGLO XVI COMENZARON
LAS OBRAS DE FORTIFICACIÓN DE LA CIUDAD.
ESTA FUE ATACADA PUR LUS INGLESES EN
1595, 1598 Y 1787 Y POR LOS HOLANDESES
EN EL 1625. A FINES DEL SIGLO XVIII SE
TERMINARON LOS CASTILLOS Y MURALLAS
QUE LA RODEAN, CONVIRTIÉNDOLA EN
IMPONENTE PLAZA FUERTE DESTINADA A
LA DEFENSA DEL IMPERIO ESPAÑOL EN
EL NUEVO MUNDO.

EL CONJUNTO DE EDIFICIOS MILITARES,
RELIGIOSOS, CIVILES Y DOMÉSTICOS
DE SAN JUAN ES UN EJEMPLO DISTINGUIDO
DE ARQUITECTURA COLONIAL ESPAÑOLA
DE AMÉRICA