Tricentennial Park
Encyclopedia
Parque del Tricentenario is a passive urban park in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico
. The park was built to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city. It was inaugurated during the mayoral administration of mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago
.
at the entrance to the Ponce Historic Zone
on Miguel Pou Boulevard, at the southern terminus of PR-1
.
park. All three plazas have gardens and marble benches. Setting the stage for the park is El Puente de los Leones (The Bridge of the Lions). It spans Rio Portugues and is the gateway to, not just Parque del Tricentenario, but to the Ponce historical district
as well. It features two brass lions guarding the entrance: the older lion represents wisdom and experience, while the younger one stands for the glorious future.
; the one on the left is dedicated to governor Luis A. Ferre
. A large wall near Hernandez Colon's right plazalette has the encryption, "Ponce es del que nos visita. Ponce es nuestro" (Ponce belongs to those who visit us. Ponce is ours).
The middle area is the largest area of this plaza. It contains a very large fountain and behind the fountain are 24 "kiosk
s" with fountainettes. Sixteen of these fountainete kiosks are dedicated to ilustrious Ponce citizens in 16 different areas of endeavor. Moving from left to right, these twelve areas are: History, Politics, Journalism, Writing, Architecture, Citizenship, Medicine, Music, Craftsmanship, Education, Sports, Plastic Arts, Law, Business, Ponceñistas, and Theatrical Arts. Each fountainette kiosk then has one or more plaque
s with the names or those being honored engraved on them.
(Francisco Porrata Doria Architecture Plaza), features a rotunda
and honors the city's architecture. On the rotunda's outer crown is the following encryption: "Ponce es Tradicion, Cultura, Espiritu, Civismo, Ilusion. Ponce es Virtud." ("Ponce is Tradition, Culture, Spirit, Civism, Ilusion. Ponce is Virtue.") The same rotunda has another encryption on its floor that reads: "Estabilidad, Durabilidad, Conveniencia, Belleza, Firmeza." ("Estability, Durability, Convenience, Beauty, Resolution.") To the right of this plaza is the bust of governor Roberto Sanchez Vilella
who, though not born in Ponce, did lived there during his formative school years, and is considered an adopted son of the city.
n statesmen and it is called Plaza de los Próceres Latinoamericanos (Latin-American Statemen Plaza). This third plaza is dedicated to Simón Bolívar
, Juan Pablo Duarte
, José de San Martín
, and Luis Muñoz Marín
, and there are statues of these prominent people there.
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...
. The park was built to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city. It was inaugurated during the mayoral administration of mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago
Rafael Cordero Santiago
Rafael Cordero Santiago – better known as Churumba – was the Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1989 to 2004. Many considered him as a synonym of Ponce, being baptized as the Greatest Lion in reference to the city's nickname of The Lion City of Ponce...
.
Location
The park is a passive urban family park. It is located in Barrio TerceroTercero (Ponce)
Tercero is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Together with Primero, Segundo, Cuarto, Quinto, and Sexto, Tercero is one the municipality's six core urban barrios.-Location:...
at the entrance to the Ponce Historic Zone
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
on Miguel Pou Boulevard, at the southern terminus of PR-1
Puerto Rico Highway 1
Puerto Rico Highway 1 connects the city of Ponce to San Juan. Leaving Ponce, the road follows somewhat parallel along the southern coast of the island and, at Salinas, it turns north to cut through the Cordillera Central in its approach to San Juan....
.
Features
The park is a three-plazaPlaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
park. All three plazas have gardens and marble benches. Setting the stage for the park is El Puente de los Leones (The Bridge of the Lions). It spans Rio Portugues and is the gateway to, not just Parque del Tricentenario, but to the Ponce historical district
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
as well. It features two brass lions guarding the entrance: the older lion represents wisdom and experience, while the younger one stands for the glorious future.
The Ilustrious Ponce Citizens Plaza
Its centerpiece is a plaza containing a fountain dedicated to Ponce's most illustrious citizens. This plaza is known as Parque de los Ponceños Ilustres (the Ilustrious Ponce Citizens Plaza). At either side of this plaza, and tucked in somewhat but facing side streets that lead to and return from the center of the city, are two separate areas dedicated to two of the most honored citizens of Ponce. The one on the right is dedicated to governor Rafael Hernandez ColonRafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fourth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1985 to 1993. An experienced politician, Hernández holds the record for being the youngest Governor of Puerto Rico,...
; the one on the left is dedicated to governor Luis A. Ferre
Luis A. Ferré
Don Luis Alberto Ferré Aguayo was a Puerto Rican engineer, industrialist, politician, philanthropist, and a patron of the arts. He was the third Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1973, and the founding father of the New Progressive Party which advocates for Puerto Rico...
. A large wall near Hernandez Colon's right plazalette has the encryption, "Ponce es del que nos visita. Ponce es nuestro" (Ponce belongs to those who visit us. Ponce is ours).
The middle area is the largest area of this plaza. It contains a very large fountain and behind the fountain are 24 "kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
s" with fountainettes. Sixteen of these fountainete kiosks are dedicated to ilustrious Ponce citizens in 16 different areas of endeavor. Moving from left to right, these twelve areas are: History, Politics, Journalism, Writing, Architecture, Citizenship, Medicine, Music, Craftsmanship, Education, Sports, Plastic Arts, Law, Business, Ponceñistas, and Theatrical Arts. Each fountainette kiosk then has one or more plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
s with the names or those being honored engraved on them.
The Francisco Porrata Doria Plaza
The second major plaza, called the Plaza de la Arquitectura Francisco Porrata DoriaFrancisco Porrata Doria
Francisco Porrata-Doria was a twentieth-century Puerto Rican architect from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Porrata-Doria was a pioneer in the development of the local modern architecture and one of the architects responsible for what has been called "Ponce Monumental Architecture", of which the Banco Crédito...
(Francisco Porrata Doria Architecture Plaza), features a rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
and honors the city's architecture. On the rotunda's outer crown is the following encryption: "Ponce es Tradicion, Cultura, Espiritu, Civismo, Ilusion. Ponce es Virtud." ("Ponce is Tradition, Culture, Spirit, Civism, Ilusion. Ponce is Virtue.") The same rotunda has another encryption on its floor that reads: "Estabilidad, Durabilidad, Conveniencia, Belleza, Firmeza." ("Estability, Durability, Convenience, Beauty, Resolution.") To the right of this plaza is the bust of 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...
who, though not born in Ponce, did lived there during his formative school years, and is considered an adopted son of the city.
The Latin American Statesmen Plaza
The third major plaza honors Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n statesmen and it is called Plaza de los Próceres Latinoamericanos (Latin-American Statemen Plaza). This third plaza is dedicated to Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
, Juan Pablo Duarte
Juan Pablo Duarte
Juan Pablo Duarte y Díez is one of the Founding Fathers of the Dominican Republic. He was a visionary and liberal thinker who along with Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Matías Ramón Mella is widely considered the architect of the Dominican Republic and its independence from Haitian rule in 1844...
, José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
, and Luis Muñoz Marín
Luis Muñoz Marín
Don José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician. Regarded as the "father of modern Puerto Rico," he was the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. Muñoz Marín was the son of Luis Muñoz Rivera, a renowned autonomist leader...
, and there are statues of these prominent people there.
Symbolisms
The entrance of the park is guarded by two massive pillars each topped by a lion - one the symbol of knowledge, the other the symbol of power.External links
- Photo of Lions Bridge circa 1923 when it used to be called Machuelo Bridge. The bridge is located in the southern end of Barrio Machuelo AbajoMachuelo AbajoMachuelo Abajo is one of the 31 barrios of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Canas Urbano, Magueyes Urbano, Portugués Urbano, and San Antón, Machuelo Abajo is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are now also part of the urban zone of the city of...
(also called "Machuelo Urbano" after it became urbanized) immediately across from Parque del Tricentenario. Accessed 5 January 2011.