Sabana Grande () is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
located north of
Lajas and
Guánica; south of
Maricao
Maricao () is a town and the second-least populous municipality of Puerto Rico; it is located at the western edge of the Cordillera Central. It is a small town set around a small square in hilly terrain, north of San Germán, Sabana Grande and ...
; east of
San Germán; and west of
Yauco
Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana Grande ...
. Sabana Grande is spread over seven barrios and
Sabana Grande Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the
San Germán-Cabo Rojo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The municipality's name comes from the extensive plain that occupies the southern part of the municipality which extends towards the west to
San German and
Hormigueros
Hormigueros (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the western region of the island, northeast of Cabo Rojo; northwest of San Germán; and south of Mayagüez. Hormigueros is spread over 5 barrios and Hormigueros Pueblo (th ...
, better known as the Sabana Grande Valley (
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
for the ''big savanna valley''; the word ''sabana'' and the English
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
both come from the
Taino word for
plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
s). According to historian Mario Villar Roces, before 1808 there was a community with its own church on the land today known as Sabana Grande Arriba (literally ''upper great savanna''). Evidence of this is the oldest baptismal registry preserved from the area, as Sabana Grande was originally a sector of the municipality of San Germán.
Because the community was so far from the
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
of San Germán, residents felt a need to build a church, which was established as an auxiliary to the
San Germán parish. The church was built and was devoted to
San Isidro Labrador
Isidore the Labourer, also known as Isidore the Farmer ( es, San Isidro Labrador) (c. 1070 – May 15, 1130), was a Spanish farmworker known for his piety toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid, El ...
and
Santa María de la Cabeza.
During
Spanish rule, in order for a town to be established, the following had to take place: A group of ''vecinos'' ("neighbors" or residents) that wanted to found a town had to grant a power of attorney to one or more other ''vecinos'' to represent them before the
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
and
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
. This person could authorize the founding of the town and the establishment of a parish. The grantors of the power of attorney had to be a majority in the given territory and more than ten in number. Once the case had been made, the governor appointed a "capitán poblador" or settlement official to represent the vecinos and one or more delegates, who usually lived in nearby aldeas, or hamlets. Proof was required that the settlement was so far from a church that it was very difficult for the settlers to partake of sacraments and municipal services. In general, proof was provided of the absence or bad condition of roads and bridges. If the petition was approved, it was required that the vecinos mark off the new municipality and build public works such as a church, a parish house, a government house (Casa del Rey), a slaughterhouse, and a cemetery, and to set aside land for the town square or plaza and the commons (ejidos). The vecinos were expected to cover the cost of building these works by levying special assessments. Usually one of the land owners donated some land for the founding. Once the requirements had been met, the governor authorized the founding of the town and the parish, and he appointed a Lieutenant at War who usually was the same capitán poblador.
There is some debate as to when Sabana Grande was founded. Some say that it was established in 1808, while others say it was established in 1813, a year after the town was politically established in 1812. Historian Villar Roces posits that although the exact date of the founding of the town is not found in any document in the municipal archives, 1813 should be considered the year it was legally founded because it coincides with the date of the first registry document. In entry number 23 in the third book of marriages, dated July 1, 1813, the priest is identified as "Priest Ecónomo of the Sabana Grande Parish Church," while previous entries were called "Attending Priests" or "Coadjutants of the Villa of San Germán."
Sabana Grande became an independent parish, under its own jurisdiction, in June 1813, with the first parish priest of the San Isidro Labrador y Santa María de la Cabeza Church being Martín Antonio Borreli.
On December 21, 1814, the first captain general of Sabana Grande, Pedro de Acosta, took office. Some local historians assert that he donated seventy
cuerda
The term "cuerda" (Spanish for ''rope'') refers to a unit of measurement in some Spanish-speaking regions, including Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Cuba, Spain, and Paraguay. In Puerto Rico, the term cuerda (and "Spanish acre"[Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...]
families with the surnames of Busigó, Malaret and Serra, and a group of
Greek immigrants with the surname Soto, all settled in the town from the time of its founding.
Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria was a deadly Saffir–Simpson scale#Category 5, Category 5 Tropical cyclone, hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the wo ...
on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in Sabana Grande with the significant amount of rainfall.
Geography
Sabana Grande is on the south west side of Puerto Rico, in the
Lajas Valley
The Lajas Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Lajas''), or the Yauco-Boquerón Valley (''Valle de Yauco-Boquerón''), is an anticlinal valley that runs 30 km (19 mi) long and 5 km (3 mi) wide east-to-west in southwestern Puerto Rico, within the municipal ...
. There are a number of rivers there:
Río Guanajibo and its tributaries,
Coco River
River Wangki in Miskitu or Río Coco, in Spanish, formerly known as the Río Segovia, Cape River, or Yara River, is a river located on the border of northern Nicaragua and southern Honduras. It is the longest river that runs entirely within the Ce ...
,
Flores River, and
Río Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
.
Barrios
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Sabana Grande is subdivided into
barrios
Barrios is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Agustín Barrios (1885–1944), Paraguayan guitarist and composer
*Ángel Barrios (1882–1964), Spanish guitarist and composer
*Arturo Barrios (born 1962), Mexican athlet ...
. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as .
#
Machuchal
#
Rayo
#
Rincón
#
Sabana Grande barrio-pueblo
Sabana Grande barrio-pueblo is a barrio and the administrative center ( seat) of Sabana Grande, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 1,554.
As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called '' ...
#
Santana
Santana may refer to:
Transportation
* Volkswagen Santana, an automobile
* Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles
* Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer
Boats
* Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
#
Susúa
Susúa is a barrio in the municipality of Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
Sabana Grande () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located north of Lajas and Guánica; south of Maricao; east of San Germán; and west of Yauco. Sabana Grande ...
#
Tabonuco
''Dacryodes excelsa'' is a tree native to Puerto Rico with a habitat that extends into the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean region. Its English vernacular names include gommier and candlewood. Its Spanish common name is ''tabonuco''. According ...
#
Torre
Sectors
Barrios (which are like
minor civil divisions
A minor civil division (MCD) is a term used by the United States Census Bureau for primary governmental and/or administrative divisions of a county or county-equivalent, typically a municipal government such as a city, town, or civil township. MCD ...
)
and subbarrios,
in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (''sectors'' in English). The types of ''sectores'' may vary, from normally ''sector'' to ''urbanización'' to ''reparto'' to ''barriada'' to ''residencial'', among others.
Special Communities
(Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of
social exclusion
Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...
. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Sabana Grande: Santana, Cerro Gordo, El Burén, Molinas and Susúa.
Economy
Agriculture
Fruits, sugar and cattle on a small scale.
Demographics
Tourism
Landmarks and places of interest
The following are some of the well-known places of interest in Sabana Grande:
* San Francisco Estate, in es,
Hacienda San Francisco, also known as , is a historic sugar mill complex with an
hacienda
An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...
house, which is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
* Museum of Art, within City Hall
* The Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Rosary of the Well, , a Catholic mission with millions of members in twenty countries
*
Susúa State Forest
*Barco House
*Orlando López Recreational Center
* Igualdad
Lodge
Lodge is originally a term for a relatively small building, often associated with a larger one.
Lodge or The Lodge may refer to:
Buildings and structures Specific
* The Lodge (Australia), the official Canberra residence of the Prime Ministe ...
#23
*
Masonic Cemetery, , is of countrywide significance under Criterion A in the area of Social History as the property is associated with a very important pattern of social and political events that took place during the nineteenth century in Puerto Rico. The construction of the cemetery came out as a result of the struggles among the Spanish political establishment and its ideological partner, the Roman Catholic Church, against the presence of the philosophical brotherhood commonly known as the Freemasons.
*Placita de la Recordación
Culture
Festivals and events
Sabana Grande celebrates its
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
festival in May. The is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.
Other festivals and events celebrated in Sabana Grande include:
*Virgen del Pozo Marathon – May
*Inter-organizational Carnival – April
*Soberao
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
Festival – April
*Petate Festival – December
*Burén Corn Fritter Festival – December
*Troubadour Festival – December
*
Three Kings
The biblical Magi from Middle Persian ''moɣ''(''mard'') from Old Persian ''magu-'' 'Zoroastrian clergyman' ( or ; singular: ), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the G ...
Festival – January
*Grand Petate Festival – February
Government
Like all municipalities in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, Sabana Grande is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is
Marcos Gilberto Valentin, from the
Popular Democratic Party (PPD). He was elected at the
2020 general election
The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2020. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems maintains a comprehensive list of upcoming elections on its E-Guide Platform. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calend ...
.
The city belongs to the
Puerto Rico Senatorial district V
Puerto Rico Senatorial District V, also known as the Senatorial District of Ponce, is one of the eight senatorial districts of Puerto Rico. It is currently represented by Marially González Huertas and Ramón Ruiz Nieves (both from the Popular ...
, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012,
Ramón Ruiz
Ramón Ruiz Nieves is a Puerto Rican politician from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Ruiz was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico in 2012. Ruiz was elected once again in the election in 2020 as District Senator.
Ruiz was born in Arecibo. ...
and
Martín Vargas Morales
Martín Vargas Morales (born December 12, 1971) is a Puerto Rican politician from the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). Vargas served as Mayor of Guánica for three consecutive terms (2000-2012). He was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico in 2 ...
, from the
Popular Democratic Party, were elected as District Senators.
Transportation
There are 27 bridges in Sabana Grande.
Symbols
The has an official flag and coat of arms.
Flag
The flag of Sabana Grande has four squares, two green and two yellow, alternating. In the center is the municipal coat of arms. The meaning of the flag comes from the coat of arms.
Coat of arms
The municipality's coat of arms contains the elements that represent the town's patron saints. The shovel and rake allude to San Isidro Labrador. It is believed this representation arose from the faith of the workers in the Sabana Grande countryside. When a bad drought came, they made promises in the hopes that their patron saint would save their crops. The urn represents the domestic tasks of
Santa María de la Cabeza, the wife of San Isidro.
In the center is the leaf of the petate palm as an icon of a traditional industry of Sabana Grande. Above is the crown wall which, as a symbol of solidarity, civic unity and common defense, is a heraldic tribute that is part of the coat of arms of towns. The motto on the coat of arms is "Town of the Prodigies."
Education
Sabana Grande boasts several public and private schools within its territory. Public education is handled by the
Puerto Rico Department of Education
The Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDOE; ) is one of the statewide public education system in the United States, with (Hawaii being the other). The PRDOE is the state education agency in charge of managing public schools in Puerto Rico as ...
.
Some of the local schools are:
* Jose A. Castillo Elementary
* Jose Celso Barbosa Elementary
* Rosendo Matienzo Cintron Elementary
* Francisco Vazquez Puello Elementary
* David Antorgiorgi Cordova Elementary and Middle School
* Juan I. Vega Elementary and Middle School
* Blanca Malaret Middle School
* Luis Negron Lopez High School
*Jose R Gaztambide elementary
Private:
* The Academy of Saint Agustin and the Holy Spirit
* Santa Ana Bilingual School
* Christian Academy
* Baptist Academy
* Seventh-Day Adventist Academy
Famous people
* Augusto Malaret (Author)
* Dr. Manuel Quevedo Báez (author)
*
Luis Negrón López
Luis Negrón López (April 19, 1909 - September 18, 1991) was a politician from Puerto Rico. Negrón was among the founding members of the Popular Democratic Party ''(PPD)'' and served as Senator and as candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico in ...
(politics)
*
Radames Vega Radames or Radamés is a Hispanic masculine given name that may refer to
*Radamés Gnattali (1906–1988), Brazilian composer, conductor, orchestrator, and arranger
*Radamés González
Radamés González Tamayo (; born February 4, 1956) is a fo ...
- Gold Medallist of 1978 Juegos Centroamericanos
* Confesor Acosta Ocasio (Liso)
*
Santos Colón
Ángel Santos Vega Colon (November 1, 1922 – February 21, 1998), aka Santitos Colón, was a Puerto Rican bolero and mambo singer, born in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico and raised in Mayagüez. He was also known by the moniker: "The Man wit ...
(singer)
*
Félix Rigau Carrera
Félix Rigau Carrera (August 30, 1894 – October 13, 1954), known as (The Eagle from Sabana Grande), was the first Puerto Rican pilot and the first Puerto Rican pilot to fly on air mail carrying duties in Puerto Rico.
Early years
Rigau Carrer ...
- First Puerto Rican pilot and the first pilot to fly on air mail carrying duties in Puerto Rico.
* Ángel Rigau Ramos (poet)
*
Aníbal González Irizarry
Aníbal González Irizarry (February 25, 1927 – November 14, 2018) was a Puerto Rican educator, journalist and news broadcaster.
Early years
González Irizarry was born and raised in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, where he received his primary ...
(TV)
*
Adalberto Rodríguez
Adalberto Rodríguez (January 22, 1934 – April 16, 1995), better known as Machuchal, was a Puerto Rican actor and comedian.
Rodríguez was born in the town of Sabana Grande, in southwest Puerto Rico. In his boyhood years he imitated animal so ...
"Machuchal" (Comedian)
* Adrián Nelson Ramírez Vega (painter and poster artist)
* Ángel Gregorio Martínez (First Puerto Rican to die in World War II)
* Fidel Vélez (Patriot) (
Intentona de Yauco
The ''Intentona de Yauco'' (the "Attempted Coup of Yauco") of March 1897 was the second and final major revolt against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico, staged by the island's pro-independence movement in the second half of the nineteenth ce ...
)
* Godless (Black Metal Band)
* Calixto Carrera Montalvo (poet)
*
John Ruiz
John Ruiz (born January 4, 1972) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2010, and held the WBA heavyweight title twice between 2001 and 2005. Ruiz is of Puerto Rican descent, and is the first Latino boxer to win a wo ...
(boxing-First Hispanic Heavyweight World Champion)
*
Jose Vidro
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
*Jose ben Abin
*Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galilean ...
MLB All-Star
*
Francis Rosas Comidian/Actor
* Jose "Witito" Martinez - Puerto Rico Baseball Legend
*
Jonathan Sánchez
Jonathan Omar Sánchez (born November 19, 1982), nicknamed "The Kid" and "The Comeback Kid", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He is one of only three Puerto Rican players to throw a no-hitter game in MLB, the others bein ...
MLB Pitcher, No Hitter, World Series Champion
* Sebastian "Papo" Marchany - Photography
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
History of Puerto Rico
The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid people between 430 BC and AD 1000. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taínos. The Taín ...
*
*
Did you know-Puerto Rico?
References
External links
Puerto Rico Government Directory - Sabana Grande
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Puerto Rico
Populated places established in 1813
San Germán–Cabo Rojo metropolitan area