"Towns in Spanish colonies were laid out in accordance with strict requirements set down by the mother country. Following the dictates of Catholic priests and the Law of the Indies, streets were arranged at right angles to one another, plazas created, and sites determined for major buildings. The discipline of this spatial pattern was faithfully adhered to from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries." ("Historic Architecture in the Caribbean Islands." University Press of Florida, 1994.)
On Plaza de Armas, is the oldest of many plazas in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Early inhabitants put forth in preparing for attacks. The plaza was used for both governmental and social center for the Spanish and the people. In 1630s, construction on the San Juan Wall began but was not completed until 1700s, the wall was watched day and night by guards with six gates that cutoff admission to the city. In 1639, the San Juan Gate is the only one built by the Spanish that is still in existance. This gate was a form of protection against invaders and only source of entry; the
city walls in Puerto Rico were 20 feet thick and 50 feet high. One of the gates was situated by the governor's mansion.
The cities of San Juan, Puerto Rico were built around a central plaza with churches and streets laid out in a grid. Plaza las Delicias was a town center where the cathedral, city hall, and fire station were located. This Plaza was in Puerto Rico's south coast, Ponce. There was other significant aspects that were added on by the Spanish to put forth the aspect of good government and unity with Chrisitianity like fountains, trees, and benches. There also still remains some original pedestrian step streets which are: Callej'on de las Monjas and Caleta del Hospital.
Through out Puerto Rico is many forts and walls that still stand today. Originally, Spain started to build fortifications and sandstone walls to protect the city from attacks from other countries.
Also the Casa Blanca mansion was built to protect Ponce de Leon unfortuneatly; he never lived there yet his descendants did for hundreds of years to follow. In 1779, Casa Blanca became a military function for the Spanish militia. Casa Alcaldia was a city hall building in San Juan in which it began building in 1602 this contributed to the historical government site.
Sources:
Big C Productions. "Puerto Rico-In Depth. " http://www.bigseaproductions.com/_PuertoRico/index.html
Crain, Edward. "Historic Architecture in the Caribbean Islands."Published by University Press of Florida, 1994.
The Tainos believed in a pantheon of gods headed by Yuchahu' whose counterpart was Jurac'an. They believed that the souls of the dead go to the underworld, and when night comes they take form of bats and eat fruit "guayaba". Also anthroplolgists emphasize on the fact that some or all of the Petwo Voodoo rites may have origin in Taino religion. The Tainos traditional background which embellished their festivity were held at the "areyto" which is a ritual dance for celebrating an event and transpiring beliefs within the group. Tainos would induce vomiting with a swallowing stick to serve as a physical and symbolic purging to get rid of the impurties of the body. There is an abudant amount of myths referring to the Taino's religious beliefs but the myth that was most intriguing to me was the one the Taino origin of the sea: A father found out that his son wanted to kill him so he killed his son and put the bones in a gourd. The son's bones turned into a fish and the gourd broke one day which so much water came out of it that it covered the whole earth with fish of all sizes. Today many people are trying to get recognition of being descendants of the Taino especially Puerto Ricans. The United Confederation of Taino People was established to review these many allegations.
