Old San Juan

Beginnings

San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean and is the second oldest city in the Americas. In 1508 Juan Ponce de León founded the original settlement, Caparra, behind the harbor just to the west of the present metropolitan area. A year later, the settlement was abandoned and moved to a site which was called at the time Puerto Rico, which meant "rich port".

In 1521, the newer settlement was given its formal name of "San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico", following the usual custom of christening the town with both its formal name and the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the island, honoring John the Baptist. The indistinct use of "San Juan Bautista" and "Puerto Rico" for calling both the city and the island led to a reversal in practical use by most inhabitants: by 1746 the name for the city (Puerto Rico) had become that of the entire island, while the name for the Island (San Juan Bautista) had become the name for the city. By 1797 San Juan had a population of approximately 100,000 inhabitants.

Fortifications

Geographical and strategic reasons led Spain to develop in San Juan the most extensive fortification system in the Americas. The city was often the last stop in the Caribbean for ships heading towards Spain with gold and silver. As a result San Juan was coveted by European powers and would suffer at least one major attack every century since its founding, mostly by the Dutch and British.

The major fortification works in the 18th century was directed by Irish-born Chief Engineer Thomas O’Daly. Begun in 1765, the project was completed 20 years later under the direction of Juan Francisco Mestre. The resulting fortress would be so impressive as to have HM Carlos III declare it a “Defense of the First Order”.