Mayagüez barrio-pueblo is a
barrio
''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city, usually delimited by functional (e.g. residenti ...
and the administrative center (
seat
A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense.
Types of seat
The following are examples of different kinds of seat:
* Armchair (furniture), ...
) of
Mayagüez, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 26,903.
As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called ''
pueblo'' which contains a central plaza, the municipal buildings (city hall), and a Catholic church.
Fiestas patronales (patron saint festivals) are held in the central plaza every year.
The central plaza and its church
The central plaza, or square, is a place for official and unofficial recreational events and a place where people can gather and socialize from dusk to dawn. The
Laws of the Indies, Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for "the parties" (celebrations, festivities) ( es, a propósito para las fiestas), and that the square should be proportionally large enough for the number of neighbors ( es, grandeza proporcionada al
número de vecinos). These Spanish regulations also stated that the streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements: sun and rain.
Located across the central plaza in Mayagüez barrio-pueblo is the , a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church which was inaugurated in 1836. There have been a number of churches at the site since the first one which was made of wood and built in 1763. The subsequent church made of (rubblework masonry) was built in 1780. In 1836, Vicente Piera designed the church which stands there now, however, the
1918 San Fermín earthquake
The 1918 San Fermín earthquake, also known as the Puerto Rico earthquake of 1918, struck the island of Puerto Rico at on October 11. The earthquake measured 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale and IX (''Violent'') on the Mercalli intensity scale ...
damaged its towers and structure. In 1922 the facade was remodeled based on a design by Luis Perocier. The current church facade was designed by Carlos J. Ralat and was finished in 2004. The columns are reminiscent of Puerto Rico church artchitecture of the 19th century.
Gallery
Places in Mayagüez barrio-pueblo:
Plaza Mayaguez.jpg, Plaza in Mayagüez
Cathedral from Plaza Colón - Mayagüez Puerto Rico.jpg,
Casa Alcaldía door relief - Mayagüez Puerto Rico.jpg, Detail on the door of Mayagüez City Hall
See also
*
List of communities in Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico, there are 78 municipalities and 902 municipio subdivisions made up of 827 barrios and 75 barrios-pueblo. There are also a number of subbarrios and communities. The following is a list of the 902 barrios, some of the subbarrios, i ...
References
{{Reflist
Barrios of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico