Publisher's Synopsis
"Marauding pirates, Spanish conquistadors, this book has it all!" according to EFAM Magazine. "If history and drama interest you then Old San Juan is a good choice as a destination or a place to live." So says the author of this romping read... With over 180-images, and maps to help you get around, the book is full of both history and up-to-date insights on not only this special place, but also the people who live there. It is an account that only someone with a unique perspective, such as the author, who as an architect resided there could share. He conveys a picture of Old San Juan being like a Hollywood epic movie set. Steeped in history with an old world ambiance and romantic European charm Old San Juan is one of only two walled cities in the western hemisphere with the other being Cartagena, Columbia. Encompassing a square mile, Old San Juan is the larger. Chartered by the Spanish Crown during the age of empire, the conquistadors built these cities as siege fortifications, or as described in Spanish military lingo a "Defense of the First Order." The book reveals why Old San Juan is an architectural treasure. With no two buildings being exactly alike, the city has over four-hundred Spanish colonial structures, two world-renowned forts, four main plazas, fountains reminiscent of Rome, and blue cobble-stoned streets in addition to ocean vistas and bay views. Protected within the walls that in the past nobly defended this city is a universally recognized unique habitat honored as a World Heritage Site. The author tells why this Spanish colonial tropical city contains more history and culture than a person can absorb in a lifetime. In 1521, Juan Ponce de Leon founded the city, which eventually would become the most coveted of all of Spain's colonial outposts. Although his remains are interned in the San Juan Cathedral, the author explains why in many ways this intrepid explorer's spirit is still very much alive in San Juan Antigua... The 2011 edition has a bonus chapter that tells another story. It is how Puerto Ricans have contributed to present day global culture. It reveals why their history and distinct culture, which is intimately connected with Old San Juan, contributes to making them who they are today.
