Old San Juan
From Conservapedia
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, was founded by Spain in 1519 and the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States, and the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere. It is part of the capital city of San Juan, and includes many government buildings.
Old San Juan sits in the western corner of San Juan Islet, and includes an historic fort within its 74-block radius.
Its architecture reflects 400 years of development, which includes an elegant mixture of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture.
Its fortifications are described by the National Park Service as follows:
| “ | Old San Juan’s impressive fortifications include La Fortaleza, the three forts of San Felipe del Morro, San Cristóbal and San Juan de la Cruz (El Cañuelo), and a large portion of the city wall, constructed between the 16th and 19th centuries to protect the city and the Bay of San Juan. The Spanish fortifications in San Juan are the oldest European construction in territory of the United States and one of the oldest in the Americas. The forts and city walls are fine examples of historic military architecture that reflect the power of the early Spanish Empire and the spread of European culture.[1] | ” |
