Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
San Germán
This quaint hillside town, known locally as “Ciudad de las Lomas” (City of the
Hills), was founded in 1573 and boasts the island's most intact colonial core
outside Old San Juan. Its leafy plazas are surrounded by exquisite colonial
buildings in eclectic architectural styles - reminders of the wealth generated
by the 19th-century coffee boom. In all, the 36-acre (15-ha) historic core has
249 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including
a 400-year-old church, Iglesia Porta Coeli, containing the nation's most
important religious art museum. The town is named after Germaine de
Foix, the second wife of King Ferdinand of Spain.
Top 10 Features
1 Plaza Santo Domingo
2 Iglesia Porta Coeli
3 Porta Coeli Religious
Art Museum
4 Casa Morales
5 Plaza Francisco Mariano
Quiñones
6 Casa Lola Rodríguez de Tió
7 Iglesia de San Germán
de Auxerre
8 Evening Paseo
9 Casa Acosta y Forés
0 Casa Juan Ortíz Perichi
Casa Acosta y Forés
Wear good walking
shoes and carry
water - the town is
hilly and exploring
the streets can be
very hard work.
The town's Mike's
Steak House
(see
p79)
is a good place
to dine on some
excellent chargrilled
steak and seafood.
• Map C5
• San Germán Tourism
and Culture Office:
Interamerican University
Avenue; 787 892 3790;
open 8am-4pm Mon-Fri
• Casa Morales:
Calle Ramos 38
• Casa Lola Rodríguez
de Tió: Calle Dr Santiago
Veve 13
• Iglesia de San Germán
de Auxerre: Plaza
Francisco Mariano
Quiñones; 787 892 1027
• Casa Acosta y Forés:
Calle Dr Santiago
Veve 70
• Casa Juan Ortíz
Perichi: Calle Luna 94
!
Plaza Santo
Domingo
The elongated Plaza Santo
Domingo, once a market-
place, is paved with red
brick and lined with historic
buildings and attractively
restored, Victorian-inspired,
19th-century mansions.
@
Iglesia Porta Coeli
The simple Spanish-
mission style “Heaven's
Gate” church
(above)
dates
from 1606 and stands atop
a stepped, red-bricked
pedestal. Originally a
monastery, it was fortified
to guard against pirates.
#
Porta Coeli Religious
Art Museum
The Museo de Arte Religioso,
within the Iglesia Porta Coeli,
exhibits religious statuary,
precious paintings
(right)
,
and the nation's largest
collection of
santos
(statues
of saints)
(see p33)
.
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