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Cruceta del Vigía (English: The Watchman Cross) is a tall cross located atop Cerro del Vigía in
Sandra Scott. Central and South America. 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2009. One of many landmarks of the city of Ponce, the cross is owned by the Municipality of Ponce and is currently operated by the "Patronato de Ponce", a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the city's cultural heritage. It is visited annually by some 100,000 tourists.
The cross sits at the same spot on Cerro del Vigía where early settlers once looked out for merchant ships and would-be invaders, including marauding pirates. In 1801, the settlers built a much smaller cross made of two intersecting tree trunks where an observer would constantly watch the sea and the city's port, raising different flags to either notify local merchants of incoming trade ships or alert military authorities of possible threats (a replica of this wooden cross now sits behind the current monument). Originally a hut was built accompanied by a cross from where flags were raised to signal the approach of ships as well as their port of origin. This station was run by two brothers Ricardo and Alberto Lugo, they were honored with a plaque at the base of the cross in 1984. They are descendants of Alonso Fernández de Lugo last conquistador of Spain.
One of the best remembered watchmen was named Luis Castro. Nearly 200 years ago, Luis would sit atop a huge wooden cross on this hill. On the lookout for ocean vessels, it was his responsibility to determine the nationality of approaching ships. If he recognized the vessel he would raise a flag, but if a ship was thought to be carrying contraband then no flag was raised and the Spanish military would investigate. The ''Cruceta'' was built in honor of Castro and all the other watchmen who so faithfully helped protect the city during its younger years.
The Cerro del Vigía also served as a refugee camp for citizens during the storm of 12 September 1738, the earthquake of 10 May 1787, the tsunami of 18 November 1867, and the ''La Cruceta del Vigia.'' By CastilloSeralles.org (''In Spanish'')
Retrieved April 24, 2010.
Cruceta del Vigía and grounds in Ponce, Puerto Rico.jpg, Cruceta del Vigía and garden
Cruceta del Vigía in Ponce, Puerto Rico.jpg, Cruceta del Vigía in Ponce seen at a distance
Site dedicated to El Vigia Cross and the Serralles Castle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruceta del Vigia Buildings and structures in Ponce, Puerto Rico Tourist attractions in Ponce, Puerto Rico 1984 in Puerto Rico Religious buildings and structures completed in 1984 Monumental crosses 1984 establishments in Puerto Rico Barrio Portugués Urbano
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce ( , , ) is a city and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692Some publ ...
, across from Museo Castillo Serrallés
Museo Castillo Serrallés (English: ''Serrallés Castle Museum''), a.k.a. Museo de la Caña y el Ron (English: ''Sugar Cane and Rum Museum''), is an agricultural museum in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, that showcases the history of sugar cane, ...
. It houses a tourist center at its base, a ten-story vertical tower, and a horizontal sky bridge that has panoramic views of the city of Ponce and the Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
. Visitors can reach the skybridge via glass elevators or a staircase. Made of reinforced concrete, the cross has withstood various natural disasters, including three major hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
s. The arms of the cross measure 70 feet. It was inaugurated in 1984.''Ponce, Puerto Rico: The Pearl of the South.''Sandra Scott. Central and South America. 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2009. One of many landmarks of the city of Ponce, the cross is owned by the Municipality of Ponce and is currently operated by the "Patronato de Ponce", a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the city's cultural heritage. It is visited annually by some 100,000 tourists.
Historical background
The cross sits at the same spot on Cerro del Vigía where early settlers once looked out for merchant ships and would-be invaders, including marauding pirates. In 1801, the settlers built a much smaller cross made of two intersecting tree trunks where an observer would constantly watch the sea and the city's port, raising different flags to either notify local merchants of incoming trade ships or alert military authorities of possible threats (a replica of this wooden cross now sits behind the current monument). Originally a hut was built accompanied by a cross from where flags were raised to signal the approach of ships as well as their port of origin. This station was run by two brothers Ricardo and Alberto Lugo, they were honored with a plaque at the base of the cross in 1984. They are descendants of Alonso Fernández de Lugo last conquistador of Spain.
One of the best remembered watchmen was named Luis Castro. Nearly 200 years ago, Luis would sit atop a huge wooden cross on this hill. On the lookout for ocean vessels, it was his responsibility to determine the nationality of approaching ships. If he recognized the vessel he would raise a flag, but if a ship was thought to be carrying contraband then no flag was raised and the Spanish military would investigate. The ''Cruceta'' was built in honor of Castro and all the other watchmen who so faithfully helped protect the city during its younger years.
The Cerro del Vigía also served as a refugee camp for citizens during the storm of 12 September 1738, the earthquake of 10 May 1787, the tsunami of 18 November 1867, and the American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
invasion
An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory (country subdivision), territory controlled by another similar entity, ...
of 25 July 1898.Retrieved April 24, 2010.
Japanese Garden
In recent years, a Japanese Garden was built in the grounds nearby the Cruceta. The garden is located in a 2,223 square meter ground. Its purpose is to encourage spiritual peace and harmony by the means of nature andZen
Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...
music. The garden features small lakes, rivers, bonsai
Bonsai (; , ) is the Japanese art of Horticulture, growing and shaping miniature trees in containers, with a long documented history of influences and native Japanese development over a thousand years, and with unique aesthetics, cultural hist ...
s, and bridges.
Gallery
Notes
References
External links
Site dedicated to El Vigia Cross and the Serralles Castle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruceta del Vigia Buildings and structures in Ponce, Puerto Rico Tourist attractions in Ponce, Puerto Rico 1984 in Puerto Rico Religious buildings and structures completed in 1984 Monumental crosses 1984 establishments in Puerto Rico Barrio Portugués Urbano