The San Juan City Wall (
Spanish: ''Murallas del Viejo San Juan'') is a
city wall that surrounds the western end of the
Islet of San Juan, site of the historic
Old San Juan district in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
. This defensive wall system was built between the 16th and 20th centuries to protect the city and the
Bay of San Juan, a highly strategic point in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. These walls, along with the defensive fortresses in Old San Juan (
La Fortaleza,
El Morro and
San Cristóbal), form part of the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
-designated
San Juan National Historic Site
San Juan National Historic Site ( es, Sitio Histórico Nacional de San Juan) in the Old San Juan section of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a National Park Service-managed historic site which protects and interprets colonial-era forts such as Castillo ...
as they are characteristic examples of the historic methods of construction used in military architecture which adapted European designs and techniques to the special conditions of the Caribbean port cities.
San Juan remains the only walled city under the United States jurisdiction, with walled cities like
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
and
no longer having walls after the 18th century, although
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...
still retains several
wall remnants. Examples of other North American walled cities that retain their ramparts are
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
in Canada and
Campeche
Campeche (; yua, Kaampech ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Campeche), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by ...
in Mexico. The bartizans (''garitas'') found along the walls are considered emblematic of the city of San Juan and a symbol of historic heritage preservation in Puerto Rico.
Overview
Construction of the defensive walls began in 1634 with the establishment of 3 miles of masonry walls, and by 1783 the wall system fully encircled the city of Old San Juan. The current wall system continued to be updated and modified between the 17th and the 20th centuries, although most of the current structure dates to the 18th century. About three fourths of the walls remain as the southeastern portion was demolished after being heavily damaged by the
1867 earthquake and in order to allow for the eastward urban development of Old San Juan during the time that the Islet of San Juan was being connected to the emerging
San Juan streetcar system and the expanding
railroad system of Puerto Rico.
The remaining portions of the wall system are now historically protected, and it additionally consist of series of ramparts and bastions interconnected with El Morro and San Cristóbal defensive castles.
Layout and components
Southeastern wall and Puerta de Tierra
![PlazadeSantiago](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/PlazadeSantiago.jpg)
The southeastern portion of the city wall system is the only section that does not remain as it was demolished by the end of the 19th century after suffering irreparable damages from the
1867 Virgin Islands earthquake. Additionally, much effort in the development of the defensive system of the Islet of San Juan had been focused on the construction of the
Fortín de San Gerónimo de Boquerón and the development of the eastern
Advanced Defense Line earlier in the 18th century. During this time, the damaged southeastern portion of the wall was considered militarily redundant and physically obstructive for the eastward urban expansion of Old San Juan.
The former southern wall extended from the still standing ''Bastión de la Derecha de San Justo y Pastor'', located at the eastern end of
Paseo de La Princesa
Paseo de La Princesa (Spanish for ''Promenade of the Princess'') is a pedestrian promenade in San Juan, Puerto Rico located in the city's historic district. The promenade is lined with adorned lamp posts and extends for a quarter of a mile along ...
, eastward along Recinto Sur and Covadonga Streets. At the time of the demolition of the wall, Covadonga Avenue (better known as ''Paseo Covadonga'') formed part of the northern terminus of the ''Camino Real'' (today the
Ponce de León Avenue) and it was the location of the Covadonga Railway and Streetcar Terminal which no longer stands. North from this site was the location of the main eastern access gate into the city, where
Plaza Colón
Plaza Colón is the main plaza in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. This plaza and its fountain commemorate the explorer Christopher Columbus, whose name in Spanish was Cristóbal Colón. The plaza presents the traditional urban relationship ...
(formerly known as Santiago Square) is today. The
eastern district of the Islet of San Juan still retains the name of this gate, colloquially known as Puerta de Tierra (''Land Gate'', officially Gate of Santiago), as it provided ground access into the city from the mainland of Puerto Rico. From here the wall connected to the
San Cristóbal Castle, the largest colonial fortification built by
Europeans
Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both. Pan and Pfeil (2004) ...
in the
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
.
Northern wall
![La Perla, Viejo San Juan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/La_Perla%2C_Viejo_San_Juan.jpg)
From the San Cristóbal Castle, the city wall includes the Bastión de Santa Teresa and a
bartizan
A bartizan (an alteration of ''bratticing''), also called a guerite, ''garita'', or ''échauguette'', or spelled bartisan, is an overhanging, wall-mounted turret projecting from the walls of late medieval and early-modern fortifications from the ...
or sentry box popularly known as Garita del Diablo, and it extends eastward along Norzagaray Street providing the city defense from attacks coming from the Atlantic Ocean. Several
unplanned communities organically developed around slaughterhouse sites along the north flank of this wall between the 17th and 18th centuries, of which
La Perla remains today.
This wall section contains the
bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
s of San Sebastián, Santo Tomás, Las Ánimas and San Antonio, and the eastward walls of
El Morro.
Western wall and Puerta de Agua
Fort San Felipe del Morro represents the main defensive structure along the northwestern portion of the wall system, in addition to the main defensive entry point into the
San Juan Bay together with the smaller
Fortín San Juan de la Cruz
Fortín San Juan de la Cruz (''Fort John of the Cross, Saint John of the Cross''), known locally as El Cañuelo, was built on Isla de Cabras in the Palo Seco, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Palo Seco barrio of the municipality of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, T ...
, popularly known as ''El Cañuelo'', located across the entrance of the bay in
Isla de Cabras
Isla de Cabras (Spanish for ''goat island'') is an islet located at the entrance of the San Juan Bay in Puerto Rico. It is part of the Palo Seco barrio of the municipality of Toa Baja.
Isla de Cabras is the current location of:
* Fortín San Jua ...
.
The western first line of defense consists of the San Fernando Battery, the Santa Elena Battery and the Bastión de Santa Elena. This place is also the site of a powder warehouse and several defensive infrastructure and buildings such as what is today known as the
Casa Rosa
Casa Rosa or Casa Rosada, also known as the Pink House, is a historic house located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. The house was built in 1812 as a barrack for the troops assigned to the San Agustin Bastion. It was converted to an officers quarter ...
(''Pink House''). From here the wall extends southward by
La Fortaleza, a former military palace that today serves as the
main residence of the
Governor of Puerto Rico
The governor of Puerto Rico ( es, gobernador de Puerto Rico) is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
The governor has a duty ...
. The other main access gate to the city is still located here and it is known as the Gate of San Juan (''Puerta de San Juan''), although it used to be colloquially known as Puerta de Agua (''Water Gate'', in contrast to Puerta de Tierra in the east) since it provided access into the old port of San Juan.
This portion of the walls can be accessed today through the
El Morro Esplanade and the ''Paseo del Morro'', a mile-long path that connects the
Paseo de La Princesa
Paseo de La Princesa (Spanish for ''Promenade of the Princess'') is a pedestrian promenade in San Juan, Puerto Rico located in the city's historic district. The promenade is lined with adorned lamp posts and extends for a quarter of a mile along ...
to the lower walls of El Morro at the entrance of the Bay of San Juan.
Southern wall
![San Juan, Paseos 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/San_Juan%2C_Paseos_02.jpg)
The southern portion of the wall extends for about half a mile between La Fortaleza and the Bastión de la Derecha de San Justo y Pastor (the "Left-side Bastion") along the contemporary
Paseo de La Princesa
Paseo de La Princesa (Spanish for ''Promenade of the Princess'') is a pedestrian promenade in San Juan, Puerto Rico located in the city's historic district. The promenade is lined with adorned lamp posts and extends for a quarter of a mile along ...
, which was the site of a former military prison known as La Princesa Prison.
The Bastión de la Concepción, located immediately southeast of La Fortaleza, is the site of the historic
Convent of the Servants of Mary, Ministers to the Sick (''Convento y Casa de Salud Siervas de María''), while the Bastión de las Palmas de San José is today the site of a public square. The ''Parque de las Paloma''s and the famous
Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud are located along the walls between these two bastions.
Gallery
File:San Juan, Puerto Rico - Old San Juan (5).jpg, alt=, Guerite
A bartizan (an alteration of ''bratticing''), also called a guerite, ''garita'', or ''échauguette'', or spelled bartisan, is an overhanging, wall-mounted Turret (architecture), turret projecting from the walls of late medieval and early-modern ...
in the San Agustín Bastion along the bay-facing portion of the wall.
File:San Juan, castillo de San Cristóbal 1.jpg, alt=, View of the Puerto Rico Capitol
The Capitol of Puerto Rico ( es, Capitolio de Puerto Rico) is located on the Islet of San Juan just outside the walls of Old San Juan. The building is home to the bicameral Legislative Assembly, composed of the House of Representatives and Sena ...
from the Santa Elena Battery in San Cristóbal.
File:Detail of Old San Juan Walls, Puerto Rico.jpg, alt=, Brown pelicans on the northern wall.
File:San Juan City Wall 1.jpg, alt=, Bastión de la Derecha de San Justo y Pastor
File:Puerta San Juan SJU 06 2019 8657.jpg, alt=, Puerta de San Juan, the only remaining city gate.
File:Puerta San Juan SJU 06 2019 8650.jpg, alt=, Puerta de San Juan from inside the walls.
File:San Juan, Puerto Rico, and vicinity, 1901-1903- Governor's palace and sea wall.jpg, alt=, View of the Gate of San Juan (Puerta de Agua) and La Fortaleza, 1901–1903.
File:Old entrance into the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico, early 20th century.jpg, alt=, Gate of San Juan before restoration, early 20th century.
See also
*
San Juan National Historic Site
San Juan National Historic Site ( es, Sitio Histórico Nacional de San Juan) in the Old San Juan section of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a National Park Service-managed historic site which protects and interprets colonial-era forts such as Castillo ...
References
{{NRHP in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan National Historic Site
City walls
Buildings and structures in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fortifications in the United States
Tourist attractions in San Juan, Puerto Rico