Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro
Encyclopedia
The Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro (English: Román Baldorioty de Castro National Pantheon) is a tract of land in Barrio Segundo
of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico
, originally designed as the city's cemetery
, but later converted into what has come to be a famous burial place. Established in 1842, it is Puerto Rico
's first (and only) national pantheon. It is the only cemetery dedicated as a museum in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Prior to being dedicated as a Panteon Nacional, it was known as Cementerio Viejo or as Cementerio Antiguo de Ponce, and is listed under that name on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
. The Pantheon is named after Román Baldorioty de Castro
, a prolific Puerto Rican politician, and firm believer of Puerto Rican
autonomy
and independence
. His remains are located here. The Pantheon also houses a small museum
about the history of autonomism
in the Island, and it is currently used both as a park and a venue for the expression of culture and the arts.
Prior to being turned into a National Pantheon in 1991, it was known as Ponce's Old Cemetery, to differentiate it from the newer (though now also over 100 years old) Ponce Civil Cemetery (Cementerio Civil de Ponce). Built in 1842, the cemetery was enlarged in 1864.
leaders of the "Villa of Ponce" to discuss plans for building a new cemetery. The existing cemetery was in deplorable and bad condition, and it posed a danger to public health. Because the "Villa of Ponce" did not have the money to build the cemetery, a voluntary proportional contribution was established in which all neighbors were to contribute. A commission was named composed of one member of the Municipal Council and four neighbors of influence to open up a voluntary subscription, name a depository and to proceed with the construction of the cemetery until its completion. The project was to be carried out in a lot adjacent to the existing cemetery extending one hundred square "varas" (a measure of length equal to 0.84m. approximately). Named by vote to form the commission were the "Sor Sindico" '(secretary to the mayor of the "Villa") and the neighbor leaders Don Geronimo Ortiz, Don Tomas Souffront, Don Luis Font, and Don Mateo Maenamaxe. On February 26, 1838, the project was approved by the mayor of Ponce. However, it was not until 1842 that the project was started out with the contributions of the neighbors of the "Villa". In 1843, the cemetery was inaugurated under the auspices of the mayor of Ponce, Don Juan Rondon Martinez
, which by the way, was the first person to be buried there. In 1864 the cemetery was enlarged and repaired. The new work consisted of repairs and construction of the enclosing walls and pathways, construction of new niches and construction of a chapel and mortuary. In 1915 the cemetery was closed down.
s that were lined up following a central pathway followed by lateral ones, starting from the entrance of the cemetery to a chapel
located at the end. Most structures were designed and constructed following the neoclassical
style that prevailed at that time. This style consisted of the use of columns and pilaster
s following the Doric
, Ionic
or Corinthian
order, barrel vaults, Greek pediments, Roman arch
es and other details characteristic of said style. The thick walls and piers were built using brick, mortar
, and "argamasa" (a mixture of crushed brick, sand, stone aggregate and line). The enclosing walls were built of brick and mortar, and the part of the walls built in 1864 were built using stone and mortar. It was built in 1842 and enlarged in 1864.
. In 1870, he was elected delegate to the Courts of Cadiz, where he attacked the slavery system of the time, being responsible for most of the liberty amendments. Afterward, on March 23, 1873, the abolition of slavery was proclaimed, being Baldorioty de Castro responsible for such proclamation.
Also buried there are Don Juan Seix, founder of the Ponce Fire Department, and Don Juan Rondon Martinez, mayor of Ponce, founder of the cemetery and first person buried there. Another prominent mayor buried there is Salvador de Vives
, who also founded Hacienda Buena Vista
. Ex-governor Roberto Sanchez Vilella
's tomb is also found at this cemetery.
The late mayor of Ponce, Churumba, has a mausoleum here. The remains of nationalist
heroe Casimiro Berenguer
are buried here as well.
Other distinguished persons buried there are: Juan Morel Campos
and Manuel G. Tavarez, distinguished composers and musicians, most famous for their danza
s (folkloric music typical of Puerto Rico) compositions,, and tenor of kings Antonio Paoli
.
There are also members of the prominent Seralles
family, founders of the Destileria Serralles, and after whom the Castillo Serralles took its name.
A small mortuary structure building used to stand at the entrance of the cemetery. Following this structure, small mausoleum
s, crypt
s and niche
s were lined up on a central pathway that led to a small chapel located at the center of the cemetery. The cemetery was totally enclosed by very high walls that still remain. Most mausoleums and crypts were constructed following the neo-classical style trend that prevailed at the time. Thick walls and pier
s were used as the main structural system. These were constructed using brick/"argarnasa", stone and mortar.
The cemetery was closed in 1915 and it deteriorated since then. By 1984, it became subjected to vandalism; crypts and mausoleums were plundered. On that year, it contained a variety of mausoleums, crypts and niches partially destroyed, and most of the cemetery was covered by heavy vegetation. The enclosing wall plaster had fallen down exposing the brick and stone to weather conditions.
Around 1990, the city of Ponce managed to salvaged it. It repaired and reconstructed it, turning it into a National Pantheon. The cemetery was called Cementerio Viejo (Engish: Old Cemetery), but at that point it was renamed Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro (English: Román Baldorioty de Castro National Pantheon). It also established a small museum about autonomism
. The city has also commissioned the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
to perform a study to determine the viability and cost for the total reconstrcution of the Pantheon.
18°0′57"N 66°37′4"W
Segundo (Ponce)
Segundo is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Primero, Tercero, Cuarto, Quinto, and Sexto, Segundo is one the municipality's six core urban barrios.-Location:...
of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, originally designed as the city's cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
, but later converted into what has come to be a famous burial place. Established in 1842, it is Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's first (and only) national pantheon. It is the only cemetery dedicated as a museum in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Prior to being dedicated as a Panteon Nacional, it was known as Cementerio Viejo or as Cementerio Antiguo de Ponce, and is listed under that name on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Pantheon is named after Román Baldorioty de Castro
Román Baldorioty de Castro
Román Baldorioty de Castro distinguished himself as one of Puerto Rico's foremost abolitionists and spokesman for the island's right to self-determination...
, a prolific Puerto Rican politician, and firm believer of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
and independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
. His remains are located here. The Pantheon also houses a small museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
about the history of autonomism
Autonomism
Autonomism refers to a set of left-wing political and social movements and theories close to the socialist movement. As an identifiable theoretical system it first emerged in Italy in the 1960s from workerist communism...
in the Island, and it is currently used both as a park and a venue for the expression of culture and the arts.
Prior to being turned into a National Pantheon in 1991, it was known as Ponce's Old Cemetery, to differentiate it from the newer (though now also over 100 years old) Ponce Civil Cemetery (Cementerio Civil de Ponce). Built in 1842, the cemetery was enlarged in 1864.
History
On February 13, 1838, the secretary of the Municipality of Ponce met with civicCivic engagement
Civic engagement or civic participation has been defined as "Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern."-Forms:...
leaders of the "Villa of Ponce" to discuss plans for building a new cemetery. The existing cemetery was in deplorable and bad condition, and it posed a danger to public health. Because the "Villa of Ponce" did not have the money to build the cemetery, a voluntary proportional contribution was established in which all neighbors were to contribute. A commission was named composed of one member of the Municipal Council and four neighbors of influence to open up a voluntary subscription, name a depository and to proceed with the construction of the cemetery until its completion. The project was to be carried out in a lot adjacent to the existing cemetery extending one hundred square "varas" (a measure of length equal to 0.84m. approximately). Named by vote to form the commission were the "Sor Sindico" '(secretary to the mayor of the "Villa") and the neighbor leaders Don Geronimo Ortiz, Don Tomas Souffront, Don Luis Font, and Don Mateo Maenamaxe. On February 26, 1838, the project was approved by the mayor of Ponce. However, it was not until 1842 that the project was started out with the contributions of the neighbors of the "Villa". In 1843, the cemetery was inaugurated under the auspices of the mayor of Ponce, Don Juan Rondon Martinez
Juan Rondón
Juan Rondón Martinez was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1843.Rondón Martinez is best known for having inaugurated, in 1843, Ponce's old cemetery on Torres Street. This cemetery, also called Antiguo Cementerio de Ponce, became the famed Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro...
, which by the way, was the first person to be buried there. In 1864 the cemetery was enlarged and repaired. The new work consisted of repairs and construction of the enclosing walls and pathways, construction of new niches and construction of a chapel and mortuary. In 1915 the cemetery was closed down.
Architecture and construction
The cemetery consisted of well-designed small mausoleumMausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
s that were lined up following a central pathway followed by lateral ones, starting from the entrance of the cemetery to a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
located at the end. Most structures were designed and constructed following the neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style that prevailed at that time. This style consisted of the use of columns and pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s following the Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
, Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
or Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
order, barrel vaults, Greek pediments, Roman arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es and other details characteristic of said style. The thick walls and piers were built using brick, mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
, and "argamasa" (a mixture of crushed brick, sand, stone aggregate and line). The enclosing walls were built of brick and mortar, and the part of the walls built in 1864 were built using stone and mortar. It was built in 1842 and enlarged in 1864.
Significance
This cemetery distinguishes itself because various illustrious Puerto Ricans of transcendental importance are buried here. The most important personage buried in this historic cemetery is Don Ramon Baldorioty de Castro, distinguished patriot, journalist, educator, writer, orator, and abolitionistSlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. In 1870, he was elected delegate to the Courts of Cadiz, where he attacked the slavery system of the time, being responsible for most of the liberty amendments. Afterward, on March 23, 1873, the abolition of slavery was proclaimed, being Baldorioty de Castro responsible for such proclamation.
Also buried there are Don Juan Seix, founder of the Ponce Fire Department, and Don Juan Rondon Martinez, mayor of Ponce, founder of the cemetery and first person buried there. Another prominent mayor buried there is Salvador de Vives
Salvador de Vives
Salvador de Vives Rodó was a Puerto Rican politician and Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1840 to 1842 and then again from 1844 to 1845. He was the son of Quirse Vives and Ana Maria Rodo. He was a wealthy coffee plantation owner who established the now historic Hacienda Buena Vista. Under de...
, who also founded Hacienda Buena Vista
Hacienda Buena Vista
Hacienda Buena Vista, also known as Hacienda Vives , is a coffee plantation and estate in Ponce, Puerto Rico, established in the 19th century. The plantation was started by Don Salvador de Vives in 1833. It is now owned by the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust , who operates it as a museum...
. Ex-governor Roberto Sanchez Vilella
Roberto Sánchez Vilella
Roberto Sánchez Vilella was the second Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1965 to 1969. He was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico...
's tomb is also found at this cemetery.
The late mayor of Ponce, Churumba, has a mausoleum here. The remains of nationalist
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was founded on September 17, 1922. Its main objective is to work for Puerto Rican Independence.In 1919, José Coll y Cuchí, a member of the Union Party of Puerto Rico, felt that the Union Party was not doing enough for the cause of Puerto Rican independence and he...
heroe Casimiro Berenguer
Casimiro Berenguer
Casimiro Berenguer Padilla was a Puerto Rican nationalist who witnessed the Ponce Massacre. He was the military instructor of the Cadetes de la República who received permission from Ponce Mayor Tormos Diego to celebrate a parade on March 21, 1937, in commemoration of the abolition of slavery and...
are buried here as well.
Other distinguished persons buried there are: Juan Morel Campos
Juan Morel Campos
Juan Morel Campos , sometimes erroneously spelled Juan Morell Campos, was a Puerto Rican composer, considered by many to be responsible for taking the genre of danza to its highest level.-Early years:...
and Manuel G. Tavarez, distinguished composers and musicians, most famous for their danza
Danza
Danza is a musical genre that originated in Ponce, a city in southern Puerto Rico. It is a popular turn-of-the-twentieth-century ballroom dance genre slightly similar to the waltz. Both the danza and its cousin the contradanza are sequence dances, performed to a pattern, usually of squares, to...
s (folkloric music typical of Puerto Rico) compositions,, and tenor of kings Antonio Paoli
Antonio Paolí
Antonio Paoli was a Puerto Rican tenor. He was known at the height of his fame as "The King of Tenors and The Tenor of Kings." He is considered to be the first Puerto Rican to reach international fame in the musical arts...
.
There are also members of the prominent Seralles
Juan Serralles
Juan Serrallés Colón was the founder of Hacienda Mercedita in Ponce, Puerto Rico and what was to become Destileria Serralles, producers of "Don Q", a world renowned brand of Puerto Rican rum.-Early years:...
family, founders of the Destileria Serralles, and after whom the Castillo Serralles took its name.
Physical appearance
The cemetery plan is shaped as a rectangle measuring approximately 157.71 meters in length by 84.31 meters wide. It is attached to a rectangular-shaped lot at the northeast corner measuring about 32.80 meters in length by 25.03 meters wide, and a small rectangular lot where the mortuary used to be located, at the center of the south side of cemetery measuring about 14.13 meters wide by 8.97 meters in length.A small mortuary structure building used to stand at the entrance of the cemetery. Following this structure, small mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
s, crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
s and niche
Niche
Niche may refer to:*Niche , an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size;*Niche , Colombian/Spanish football player, full name Víctor Manuel Micolta Armero*Niche , a British Thoroughbred racehorse...
s were lined up on a central pathway that led to a small chapel located at the center of the cemetery. The cemetery was totally enclosed by very high walls that still remain. Most mausoleums and crypts were constructed following the neo-classical style trend that prevailed at the time. Thick walls and pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
s were used as the main structural system. These were constructed using brick/"argarnasa", stone and mortar.
The cemetery was closed in 1915 and it deteriorated since then. By 1984, it became subjected to vandalism; crypts and mausoleums were plundered. On that year, it contained a variety of mausoleums, crypts and niches partially destroyed, and most of the cemetery was covered by heavy vegetation. The enclosing wall plaster had fallen down exposing the brick and stone to weather conditions.
Around 1990, the city of Ponce managed to salvaged it. It repaired and reconstructed it, turning it into a National Pantheon. The cemetery was called Cementerio Viejo (Engish: Old Cemetery), but at that point it was renamed Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro (English: Román Baldorioty de Castro National Pantheon). It also established a small museum about autonomism
Autonomism
Autonomism refers to a set of left-wing political and social movements and theories close to the socialist movement. As an identifiable theoretical system it first emerged in Italy in the 1960s from workerist communism...
. The city has also commissioned the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture is located in the Ponce Historic Zone, across from Plaza Las Delicias. Together with the School of Law, it is one of two semi-autonomous professional colleges of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in the city...
to perform a study to determine the viability and cost for the total reconstrcution of the Pantheon.
External links
18°0′57"N 66°37′4"W