Parque del Tricentenario (Ponce, Puerto Rico) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parque del Tricentenario |
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The Illustrous Ponce Citizens Plaza at Tricentennial Park in Ponce, looking West
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| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Created | 1992 |
| Designer | Juan Dalmau, architect |
| Operated by | Government of the Municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Status | Open dawn to dusk, every day. Entrance free. |
Parque del Tricentenario (which means 'Tricentennial Park') is a calm city park in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It was built to celebrate Ponce's 300th birthday! The park opened in 1992 when Rafael Cordero Santiago was the mayor.
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Where is Tricentennial Park?
This peaceful park is found in the Tercero neighborhood. It's right at the entrance to the Ponce Historic Zone, a special old part of the city. You can find it on Miguel Pou Boulevard, at the end of PR-1.
What Can You See at the Park?
The park is made up of three main plazas, or open public squares. Each plaza has pretty gardens and marble benches where you can relax.
The Bridge of the Lions
Before you even get into the park, you'll cross El Puente de los Leones (The Bridge of the Lions). This bridge goes over the Rio Portugues river. It's like a grand entrance not just to the park, but also to the whole Ponce historical district.
The bridge has two big brass lions guarding the entrance. One lion is older and represents wisdom and experience. The other lion is younger and stands for a bright and glorious future.
The Illustrious Ponce Citizens Plaza
This plaza is also known as Parque de los Ponceños Ilustres. It's a special place that honors many important people from Ponce. The main part of this plaza has a large fountain.
Around the fountain, there are 24 smaller "kiosks" with little fountains. Sixteen of these kiosks are dedicated to famous Ponce citizens who excelled in different areas. These areas include:
- History
- Politics
- Journalism
- Writing
- Architecture
- Citizenship
- Medicine
- Music
- Craftsmanship
- Education
- Sports
- Plastic Arts (like painting and sculpture)
- Law
- Business
- Ponceñistas (people who love and promote Ponce)
- Theatrical Arts
Each kiosk has plaques with the names of the honored people engraved on them. Every few years, the city asks people for new suggestions to add more names to these lists.
On the sides of this plaza, there are two smaller areas. One is dedicated to Rafael Hernández Colón, who was a governor. The other is for Luis A. Ferre, who was also a governor. Near the area for Rafael Hernandez Colon, there's a large wall with a special message: "Ponce es del que nos visita. Ponce es nuestro" (Ponce belongs to those who visit us. Ponce is ours).
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The Francisco Porrata Doria Architecture Plaza
This second main plaza is called Plaza de la Arquitectura Francisco Porrata Doria. It celebrates the amazing architecture of the city. It has a rotunda, which is a round building or hall with a dome.
On the outside of the rotunda, you can read: "Ponce es Tradicion, Cultura, Espiritu, Civismo, Ilusion. Ponce es Virtud." This means "Ponce is Tradition, Culture, Spirit, Civism, Illusion. Ponce is Virtue." On the floor of the rotunda, another message says: "Estabilidad, Durabilidad, Conveniencia, Belleza, Firmeza." This means "Stability, Durability, Convenience, Beauty, Resolution."
To the right of this plaza, there is a bust (a sculpture of someone's head and shoulders) of Roberto Sanchez Vilella. Even though he wasn't born in Ponce, he lived there during his school years and is considered an adopted son of the city. He also became a governor.
The Latin American Statesmen Plaza
The third main plaza is called Plaza de los Próceres Latinoamericanos. This plaza honors important leaders from Latin America. You can find statues of these famous people here:
Park History
Parque del Tricentenario first opened in 1992. This happened during the time when Rafael Cordero Santiago was the mayor of Ponce.
Images for kids
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The Illustrous Ponce Citizens Plaza at Tricentennial Park in Ponce, looking West
