Cruceta del Vigía facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cruceta del Vigía |
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View of the cross at night. The city of Ponce shines in the background below the hill. The Caribbean Sea is further to the right.
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| General information | |
| Status | Open |
| Type | Monument |
| Architectural style | Modern arch style |
| Location | Barrio Portugues Urbano |
| Address | Cerro del Vigía |
| Town or city | Ponce |
| Country | Puerto Rico |
| Coordinates | 18°01′08.35″N 66°37′12.66″W / 18.0189861°N 66.6201833°W |
| Current tenants | Patronato de Ponce |
| Groundbreaking | 1983 |
| Construction started | 1983 |
| Completed | 1984 |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Inaugurated | 1984 |
| Cost | $650,000 |
| Client | Municipality of Ponce |
| Owner | Autonomous Municipality of Ponce |
| Height | |
| Tip | 110 feet (34 m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Other dimensions | 70 feet (21 m) across |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel and Reinforced concrete |
| Floor count | 10 |
| Lifts/elevators | One |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ruben Colondres |
| Architecture firm | Colondres & Laboy |
| Structural engineer | Jose L. Irizarry |
| Services engineer | Ramon Montero |
| Civil engineer | Axel Bonilla |
| Quantity surveyor | Jose Raul Vazquez-Geli |
| Main contractor | Venegas Construction Corp. |
| Other information | |
| Parking | Lighted Lot |
The Cruceta del Vigía (which means "The Watchman Cross" in English) is a huge cross that stands about 100 feet (30 m) tall. You can find it on top of Cerro del Vigía (Watchman Hill) in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's right across from the Museo Castillo Serrallés.
This special cross has a visitor center at its bottom. It also has a tall, ten-story tower and a horizontal sky bridge. From the sky bridge, you can see amazing views of the city of Ponce and the Caribbean Sea. You can reach the sky bridge by taking glass elevators or walking up a staircase.
The cross is made of strong reinforced concrete. This means it has been able to stand strong through many big storms, including three major hurricanes. The arms of the cross are 70 feet (21 m) wide. It first opened to visitors in 1984.
The Cruceta del Vigía is one of the most famous landmarks in Ponce. The city of Ponce owns it. A non-profit group called "Patronato de Ponce" helps take care of it. This group works to protect the city's history and culture. About 100,000 tourists visit the cross every year.
Why is it there? A Look at History
The cross stands in the exact spot where early settlers used to watch for ships. They looked out for trading ships and also for possible invaders, like pirates.
Back in 1801, the settlers built a much smaller cross there. It was made from two tree trunks. A person would always be watching the sea and the city's port from this spot. They would raise different flags to send messages. For example, a flag might tell local merchants that trading ships were coming. Or, it could warn military leaders about possible dangers. Today, you can see a copy of this old wooden cross behind the big monument.
At first, there was a small hut with a cross. From here, flags were raised to show when ships were coming and where they were from. Two brothers, Ricardo and Alberto Lugo, ran this watch station. They were honored with a plaque at the base of the cross in 1984. They were descendants of Alonso Fernández de Lugo, who was one of the last Spanish conquerors.
One of the most famous watchmen was Luis Castro. Nearly 200 years ago, Luis would sit on top of a huge wooden cross on this hill. He watched for ships coming from the ocean. His job was to figure out which country the approaching ships were from. If he knew the ship, he would raise a flag. But if he thought a ship might be carrying illegal goods, he wouldn't raise a flag. Then, the Spanish military would go investigate. The current Cruceta was built to honor Mr. Castro and all the other watchmen. They faithfully helped protect the city when it was younger.
The Cerro del Vigía hill also served as a safe place for people during big events. For example, people took refuge there during a storm in 1738. They also used it during an earthquake in 1787 and a tsunami in 1867.
The Peaceful Japanese Garden
In recent years, a beautiful Japanese Garden was built near the Cruceta. This garden covers an area of about 2,223 square meters. It was created to help people find peace and calm through nature and Zen music. The garden has small lakes, gentle rivers, tiny bonsai trees, and pretty bridges. It's a great place to relax and enjoy the quiet.
Images for kids
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Cruceta del Vigía and garden
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Cruceta del Vigía in Ponce seen at a distance
See also
In Spanish: Cruceta del Vigía para niños
