Plaza Las Delicias
Encyclopedia
Plaza Las Delicias is the main plaza
in the city of Ponce
, Puerto Rico
. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas
and Ponce Cathedral
buildings are located within Plaza Las Delicias. Plaza Las Delicias is actually composed of two squares, Plaza Muñoz Rivera on the north end and Plaza Degetau on the southern end. The square is the center of the Ponce Historic Zone
, and it is flanked by the historic Ponce City Hall
to the south, the early 19th-century Teatro Fox Delicias
to the north, the NRHP-listed Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño
and Banco de Ponce
buildings to the east, and the Armstrong-Poventud Residence
to the west. The square dates back to the early Spanish settlement in Ponce of 1670. It is the main tourist attraction of the city, receiving about a quarter of a million visitors per year.
(Luis Muñoz Rivera square), while the south section is called Plaza Federico Degetau
(Federico Degetau square). Plaza Las Delicias measures 8,800 square meters.
The history of Plaza Las Delicias dates back to as far as the creation of the first Catholic chapel in Ponce in 1670. It is also known that around 1840 Mayor Salvador de Vives
planted trees as a renovation project for Plaza Las Delicias. It was first lit in 1864.
In addition to the Cathedral and the firehouse, Plaza Las Delicias at one point also contained an open dining Moorish-style Arab kiosk that had been part of the 1882 Fair Exposition. The kiosk was still present at the time of the American invasion of the island in 1898 as reported by American photo-journalist William Dinwiddie
, but it was demolished in 1914.
is made in bronze
and was unveiled in 1923. Luis Yordán Dávila
, mayor of Ponce at the time, was one of the main proponents of the monument. In addition to the statue of Munoz Rivera, this section of Plaza Las Delicias also has two fountains.
Plaza Muñoz Rivera is bounded on the north by Plaza Muñoz Rivera street (also called Reina street and Isabel street), on the west by Union street, on the east by Atocha street
, and on the south by the Ponce Cathedral
and Parque de Bombas
. Two hotels, various banks, several boutiques, a five-story drugstore building (now home to the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
), and the historic Fox Delicias theater
surround this smaller plaza.
In the center of this plaza lies the famous Fuente de los Leones (Lions Fountain). The large, round-shaped fountain is bounded by a low, marmol and granite wall. The fountain's wall boundary is shaped in the form of an regular octagon and built so that one of the vertices of the octagon points towards the historic Ponce City Hall. The fountain also features four lion statues and water that flows under colored lighting effects. The four lion statues are located one statue on each alternating vertice of the fountain's octagonal boundary wall. The fountain was purchased in 1939 at the New York World's Fair
. The fountain, including a mechanical basement, was remodeled and restored in 1993. Its base was enlarged and a computerized lighting system was installed.
This plaza also features a statue of native composer
, Juan Morel Campos
. This statue was also produced at the workshop of Italian sculptor Luiggi Tomassi Also in this plaza is an obelisk
in honor of the firefighters that fought in the "Polvorín" fire (see Parque de Bombas
). The obelisk was unveiled in 1948, in time for the 50th anniversary of the frightful fire. There is also a statue, called Blind Justice of a woman on a long dress with her eyes covered by a cloth wrapped around the top of her head. The woman's left hand holds a sword inside a shaft resting on the ground and there are two children sitting happily by her feet: one is embracing the lower part of the shaft, the other is playing with an orange tree branch.
Plaza Degetau is bounded on the north by the Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral and Parque de Bombas, on the south by Plaza Degetau street (also called Villa street and Comercio street), on the west by Union street, and on the east by Atocha street. It is surrounded by two hotels, the Ponce City Hall
, two banks (historic Banco de Ponce
and historic Banco Crédito
), a long-standing ice cream parlor called "King's Ice Cream", and various boutiques and cafes.
trees, late 1800s lamposts, and numerous marble benches. It is home to the Lions Fountain, "one of the most beautiful fountains in Puerto Rico." The fountain is made of marble and bronze.
It is surrounded by a multitude of historic sites: Paseo Atocha
, Old Fox Delicias Theater, and Callejon Amor (Love Alley), among others. During the day, the plaza hustles with schoolchildren, shoppers, and tourists. After the sun sets, there are oftentimes live bands giving concerts to "multigenerational families."
Plaza
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...
in the city of Ponce
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...
, 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...
. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island". It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral...
and Ponce Cathedral
Ponce Cathedral
The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe or simply, Ponce Cathedral, is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce located in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico. The cathedral lies in the middle of Ponce's town square, known as Plaza Las Delicias, located at the center of the Ponce Historic...
buildings are located within Plaza Las Delicias. Plaza Las Delicias is actually composed of two squares, Plaza Muñoz Rivera on the north end and Plaza Degetau on the southern end. The square is the center of 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...
, and it is flanked by the historic Ponce City Hall
Ponce City Hall
The Ponce City Hall is located on Calle Degetau, across from Plaza Las Delicias in the Ponce Historic Zone in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The building serves as the seat of the executive branch of government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, including the office of the Mayor of Ponce. It is the...
to the south, the early 19th-century Teatro Fox Delicias
Teatro Fox Delicias
Teatro Fox Delicias is a historic building in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Inaugurated in 1931, it originally housed a movie house until 1980, then a shopping mall until 1998, and today it is reconfigured to be used as a hotel. Its architecture is Art Deco....
to the north, the NRHP-listed Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño
Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño (building)
The Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño building , a historic building in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the first and main office of the famed Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño , and represents one of the last examples of the once popular turn-of-the-century eclectic architecture. The building was listed on the...
and Banco de Ponce
Banco de Ponce (building)
The Banco de Ponce building, a historic building in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the first and main office of Banco de Ponce until the company merged with Banco Popular in 1990. Though its headquarters had moved to a presumptous building in Hato Rey's Milla de Oro by then, Banco de Ponce continued to...
buildings to the east, and the Armstrong-Poventud Residence
Armstrong-Poventud Residence
Residencia Armstrong-Poventud is a historic building located in the Ponce Historic Zone in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The construction of this home set the stage for the construction of other homes of similar architectural elements, character and opulence in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Ponce...
to the west. The square dates back to the early Spanish settlement in Ponce of 1670. It is the main tourist attraction of the city, receiving about a quarter of a million visitors per year.
History
According to the traditional Spanish colonial custom, a town's main square, or plaza, was the center of the town. In the case of Ponce, a Catholic church was built on the center of the plaza, thus splitting the plaza into two sections. The Plaza Las Delicias square is, thus, actually made up of two plazas. The north section of the square is named Plaza Luis Muñoz RiveraLuis Muñoz Rivera
Luis Muñoz Rivera was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician. He was a major figure in the struggle for political autonomy of Puerto Rico....
(Luis Muñoz Rivera square), while the south section is called Plaza Federico Degetau
Federico Degetau
Federico Degetau y González, born in Ponce was a Puerto Rican politician, lawyer, writer, author, and the first Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico to the United States House of Representatives.-Early years:...
(Federico Degetau square). Plaza Las Delicias measures 8,800 square meters.
The history of Plaza Las Delicias dates back to as far as the creation of the first Catholic chapel in Ponce in 1670. It is also known that around 1840 Mayor 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...
planted trees as a renovation project for Plaza Las Delicias. It was first lit in 1864.
In addition to the Cathedral and the firehouse, Plaza Las Delicias at one point also contained an open dining Moorish-style Arab kiosk that had been part of the 1882 Fair Exposition. The kiosk was still present at the time of the American invasion of the island in 1898 as reported by American photo-journalist William Dinwiddie
William Dinwiddie
William Dinwiddie was an American journalist, war photographer, writer and colonial administrator in the Philippines. He was born in Charlottesville, Virginia.-Early life:...
, but it was demolished in 1914.
Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera
Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera is the smaller of the two plazas. It is situated to the north of the Ponce Cathedral, and was originally known as Paseo de La Alameda, but today it is known as Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera. It is so named to honor the prominent poet, journalist, and politician by that name born in Barranquitas and whose statue stands prominently in the center of this plaza. The statue is the product of the foundry of Italian sculptor Luiggi Tomassi. in Pietrasanta, Italy. The Muñoz Rivera statueStatue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
is made in bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
and was unveiled in 1923. Luis Yordán Dávila
Luis Yordán Dávila
Luis Leoncio Yordán Dávila was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1917 to 1918.-Origin:Yordan Davila was born on September 12, 1869, in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, the son of Ramon Yordan Gonzalez and Cruz Davila Torres. His children were Luis Angel Yordan Pasarell, Rafael A. Yordan Pasarell, Oriol...
, mayor of Ponce at the time, was one of the main proponents of the monument. In addition to the statue of Munoz Rivera, this section of Plaza Las Delicias also has two fountains.
Plaza Muñoz Rivera is bounded on the north by Plaza Muñoz Rivera street (also called Reina street and Isabel street), on the west by Union street, on the east by Atocha street
Paseo Atocha
Paseo Atocha is a pedestrian mall in the Ponce Historic Zone, a historic district in Ponce, Puerto Rico. For over a century Paseo Atocha was a commercial street opened to motor vehicle traffic. The street, which is now pedestrian-only, stretches over four blocks from Isabel Street to Vives Street...
, and on the south by the Ponce Cathedral
Ponce Cathedral
The Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe or simply, Ponce Cathedral, is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce located in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico. The cathedral lies in the middle of Ponce's town square, known as Plaza Las Delicias, located at the center of the Ponce Historic...
and Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island". It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral...
. Two hotels, various banks, several boutiques, a five-story drugstore building (now home to 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...
), and the historic Fox Delicias theater
Teatro Fox Delicias
Teatro Fox Delicias is a historic building in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Inaugurated in 1931, it originally housed a movie house until 1980, then a shopping mall until 1998, and today it is reconfigured to be used as a hotel. Its architecture is Art Deco....
surround this smaller plaza.
Plaza Federico Degetau
Plaza Federico Degetau is the larger of the two plazas. It was designed by architect Francisco Porrata-Doria in 1914. It is located south of the Cathedral and the firehouse. It was originally called Antigua Plaza Real (Old Royal Plaza). This section of Plaza Las Delicias is perhaps the best known and the one most often seen in pictures.In the center of this plaza lies the famous Fuente de los Leones (Lions Fountain). The large, round-shaped fountain is bounded by a low, marmol and granite wall. The fountain's wall boundary is shaped in the form of an regular octagon and built so that one of the vertices of the octagon points towards the historic Ponce City Hall. The fountain also features four lion statues and water that flows under colored lighting effects. The four lion statues are located one statue on each alternating vertice of the fountain's octagonal boundary wall. The fountain was purchased in 1939 at the New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
. The fountain, including a mechanical basement, was remodeled and restored in 1993. Its base was enlarged and a computerized lighting system was installed.
This plaza also features a statue of native composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, 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:...
. This statue was also produced at the workshop of Italian sculptor Luiggi Tomassi Also in this plaza is an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
in honor of the firefighters that fought in the "Polvorín" fire (see Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas
Parque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island". It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral...
). The obelisk was unveiled in 1948, in time for the 50th anniversary of the frightful fire. There is also a statue, called Blind Justice of a woman on a long dress with her eyes covered by a cloth wrapped around the top of her head. The woman's left hand holds a sword inside a shaft resting on the ground and there are two children sitting happily by her feet: one is embracing the lower part of the shaft, the other is playing with an orange tree branch.
Ponce City Hall
The Ponce City Hall is located on Calle Degetau, across from Plaza Las Delicias in the Ponce Historic Zone in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The building serves as the seat of the executive branch of government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce, including the office of the Mayor of Ponce. It is the...
, two banks (historic Banco de Ponce
Banco de Ponce (building)
The Banco de Ponce building, a historic building in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the first and main office of Banco de Ponce until the company merged with Banco Popular in 1990. Though its headquarters had moved to a presumptous building in Hato Rey's Milla de Oro by then, Banco de Ponce continued to...
and historic Banco Crédito
Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño (building)
The Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño building , a historic building in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was the first and main office of the famed Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño , and represents one of the last examples of the once popular turn-of-the-century eclectic architecture. The building was listed on the...
), a long-standing ice cream parlor called "King's Ice Cream", and various boutiques and cafes.
Setting
The Plaza has wide mosaic-tile sidewalks, well-manicured flower gardens, well-trimmed bushes and Indian laurelIndian laurel
Indian laurel can refer to certain species of fig trees or banyans:* Ficus microcarpa * Ficus retusaThough the though leaves look somewhat similar, they are not at all related to Bay Laurel ....
trees, late 1800s lamposts, and numerous marble benches. It is home to the Lions Fountain, "one of the most beautiful fountains in Puerto Rico." The fountain is made of marble and bronze.
It is surrounded by a multitude of historic sites: Paseo Atocha
Paseo Atocha
Paseo Atocha is a pedestrian mall in the Ponce Historic Zone, a historic district in Ponce, Puerto Rico. For over a century Paseo Atocha was a commercial street opened to motor vehicle traffic. The street, which is now pedestrian-only, stretches over four blocks from Isabel Street to Vives Street...
, Old Fox Delicias Theater, and Callejon Amor (Love Alley), among others. During the day, the plaza hustles with schoolchildren, shoppers, and tourists. After the sun sets, there are oftentimes live bands giving concerts to "multigenerational families."
External links
- Plaza Las Delicias video - featuring the Lions Fountain
- Information about Ponce's touristic places
- Photo of the fountain prior to the Lions Fountain Accessed December 15, 2010.
- West end of Plaza Muñoz Rivera c. early 1900s The famed Armstrong-Poventud ResidenceArmstrong-Poventud ResidenceResidencia Armstrong-Poventud is a historic building located in the Ponce Historic Zone in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The construction of this home set the stage for the construction of other homes of similar architectural elements, character and opulence in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Ponce...
is visible on the right. Accessed January 5, 2011. - Plaza Muñoz Rivera circa early 1900s looking southeast. Ponce Cathedral is on the left, and Parque de Bombas, barely visible is further in the background also on the left. Accessed January 5, 2011.
- Plaza Muñoz Rivera before 1917. The location of the statue of Luis Munoz Rivera, erected on this plaza in 1923, was still being occupied by lamp posts when this photo was taken. Accessed January 5, 2011.
- Plaza Degetau in the 1940s with Blind Justice Statue pictured. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- Arab kiosk at Plaza Las Delicias. Arab kiosk at Plaza Las Delicias, now Plaza Muñoz Rivera in Plaza Las Delicias. Note the Cathedral in the right background with its pre-1918 towers, and the Parque de BombasParque de BombasParque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island". It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral...
in the left background, at that time painted in light blue. Retrieved January 8, 2011.