HISTORY OF SAN GERMAN

HISTORY:  There is evidence that the city of San Germán existed as far back as 1573. A letter sent to Spain's King Philip II talked about a city with the names of Nueva Salamanca and San Germán. Spanish conquerors used the name Nueva Salamanca to honor the city of Salamanca in Spain.
    The actual city of San Germán originated around the same time as the colonization of Puerto Rico began. While the city itself was never located in the southern coast of the island, a statement commonly mentioned, but wrong, its history is closely tied with the town of Santa Maria de Guadianilla. The town was founded by order of Juan Ponce de León after a Taíno ( native Indians of the island) uprising on February 1511. This initial town was destroyed by French corsairs and the populace retreated inland.
    In November 1511, Juan Ponce de León handed over the governorship of Puerto Rico to Juan Cerón, a lieutenant to Viceroy Diego Colón.  Cerón ordered Miguel de Toro, a lieutenant of Juan Ponce de León, to create a "Christian township" on the western part of Boriquen (Taino name of the island), calling it San Germán.  This town was established on December 1511 on the mouth of the Guaorabo River, near the area known today as Añasco.  This town was attacked by French corsairs in August 1528, May 1538 and 1554.  The construction of a small fort began on 1540, but work stopped on 1546, when the population of the town began moving inland.  Even with the exodus of people, the port of Guaorabo was still used by those who left. 
    On May 12, 1570, the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo ordered that both the populations of San Germán and Santa Maria de Guadianilla be merged into a single city due to the constant attacks.  The new city would be built on the hills of Santa Marta, next to the Guanajibo River, on 1573.  Its official name was Nueva Villa de Salamanca, named after the city of Salamanca, in Spain.  However, the population would call the city San Germán el Nuevo (The New San Germán) and, eventually, the Villa de San Germán (The Village of San Germán)
 

SAN GERMAN is the second oldest city of the island Puerto Rico, and it is located in the southwestern region of Puerto Rico.  . The island of Puerto Rico was once split between two cities, San Juan and the San Germán municipalities. San German extended from a line from Arecibo in the north to Ponce in the south, westward to the sea.  Some of the city nicknames are: "La Ciudad de las Lomas", "Ciudad de las Golondrinas", "Ciudad Fundadora de Pueblos", "La Cuna del Baloncesto Puertorriqueño", "Ciudad Peregrina" .  The name given to people of San Germán is "Sangermeños"
 

BARRIOS/DISTRICTS:
Ancones
Caín Alto
Caín Bajo
Cotuí
Duey Alto
Duey Bajo
Guamá
Hoconuco Alto
Hoconuco Bajo
Maresúa
Minillas
Rosario Alto
Rosario Bajo
Rosario Peñón
Sabana Eneas

Note:  Due to its large size, Minillas is usually subdivided into Minillas Valle, Minillas Carretera and Minillas Parcelas.

SAN GERMAN ANTHEM
By Raquel Quiñones
 

San Germán es mi pueblo querido,
en sus lomas alegres nació,
y no encuentro otro sitio en el mundo
donde yo pueda ser tan feliz.
 

Es antiguo, legendario y muy culto,
y fue cuna de hombres grandes ayer,
de poetas, maestros artistas,
y de damas muy nobles también.

Porta Coeli se levanta orgulloso
cual reliquia de un tiempo que fue,
en sus muros antiguos aun vibra,
un pasado de gloria y de fe.

Yo no cambio mis verdes colinas
por París, Nueva York, ni Berlín
porque allí no se ven golondrinas
como siempre las vemos aquí.

Dios bendiga este pueblo tan más,
este pueblo en donde nació,
del que puedo yo estar orgulloso,
donde siempre me siento feliz.

TOURISM

San Germán is the site of the Porta Coeli church, one of the earliest Spanish cathedrals built in Latin America.  Porta Coeli is still a major attraction that brings both domestic and international tourists every year.

OTHER LANDMARKS:
Puente de Bolas (Bridge of Balls)
Casa Morales
Ceiba de la Libertad
Historic Gallery
Lola Rodríguez de Tió Museum
Ramírez de Arrellano y Rossell Museum
Santo Domingo Plazuela
Three Races and One Culture Mural
San German Antiguo National Historic Site

 

FESTIVALS AND EVENTS:
Patron Celebrations - July
Anón Festival - September
Christmas Festival - December
Festival de la Pana - July
 

NOTRABLE "Sangermeños"
Arquelio Torres - Basketall Legend

Aurelio Tió - Historian

Francisco Mariano Quiñones - Abolition Leades, Politician, and Writer
Lola Rodriguez de Tió - Poet and Patritic
Manuel F Rossy - Lawyer, Journalist. Orator and Leader of the Statehood Movement
Samuel R. Quiñones - Participated in the Liberal Party and was one of the founders of the Popular Party.

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