Plaza Las Delicias Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Plaza Las Delicias
Plaza Degetau, one of two main plazas at Plaza Las Delicias
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Type	Municipal Plaza and Urban park
Location	Ponce, Puerto Rico
Area	2.2 acres (0.89 ha)
Created	1670
Operated by	Autonomous Municipality of Ponce
Visitors	over 200,000
Status	Opened all year, 24 hours/day

Plaza Las Delicias is the main town square in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's a beautiful and historic spot. This plaza is famous for its cool fountains and many statues.

You'll find two important buildings right inside the plaza: the old Parque de Bombas (a firehouse) and the Ponce Cathedral. The plaza is actually made up of two separate squares. The northern part is called Plaza Muñoz Rivera, and the southern part is Plaza Degetau.

Plaza Las Delicias is the heart of the Ponce Historic Zone. It's surrounded by other historic buildings. These include the Ponce City Hall, the old Teatro Fox Delicias theater, and several historic bank buildings. The square has been around since 1670, when Ponce was first settled by the Spanish. It's a top tourist spot, welcoming about 250,000 visitors every year!

History of Plaza Las Delicias
Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera
Plaza Federico Degetau
What the Plaza Looks Like
Events and Celebrations
Gallery
See also

History of Plaza Las Delicias

Map of Plaza Las Delicias. The top (north/red) part is Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera. The bottom (south/blue) part is Plaza Federico Degetau.

Legend:
1. Cathedral Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe
2. Parque de Bombas
3. Lions Fountain
4. Statue of Luis Muñoz Rivera
5. Statue of Juan Morel Campos
6. Statue of Domingo Cruz "Cocolia"
7. Obelisk for the "El Polvorin" Firemen
8. Statue of Blind Justice
9. Statue of woman with children, "Añoranzas"
10 & 11. Large Fountains

In Spanish colonial times, the main town square, or plaza, was always the center of a town. In Ponce, a Catholic church was built right in the middle of the plaza. This split the large square into two parts. So, Plaza Las Delicias is actually two plazas in one!

The northern part of the square is named Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera. The southern part is called Plaza Federico Degetau. Together, Plaza Las Delicias covers a large area of 8,800 square meters.

The history of this plaza goes way back to 1670. That's when the first Catholic chapel was built in Ponce. Around 1840, Mayor Salvador de Vives planted trees to make the plaza even nicer. It got its first lights in 1864.

Long ago, the plaza also had a cool, open-air dining spot. It was built in a Moorish (Arab) style. This building was part of the 1882 Fair Exposition. It was still there in 1898 but was taken down in 1914.

Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera

The Statue of Luis Muñoz Rivera is the main feature of Plaza Muñoz Rivera

Plaza Luis Muñoz Rivera is the smaller of the two squares. It's located north of the Ponce Cathedral. This area was first known as Paseo de La Alameda. For a while, it was even called "Plaza Las Delicias" itself.

Today, it honors Luis Muñoz Rivera. He was a famous poet, journalist, and politician from Puerto Rico. His statue stands proudly in the center of this plaza. The statue is made of bronze and was put up in 1923. The mayor of Ponce at the time, Luis Yordán Dávila, helped make this monument happen. Besides the statue, this part of the plaza also has two fountains.

Plaza Muñoz Rivera is surrounded by streets and important buildings. To its south are the Ponce Cathedral and Parque de Bombas. Nearby, you'll find hotels, banks, shops, and the historic Teatro Fox Delicias theater.

Plaza Federico Degetau

The Lions Fountain in Plaza Degetau

Plaza Federico Degetau is the larger of the two plazas. Architect Francisco Porrata-Doria designed it in 1914. It's located south of the Cathedral and the firehouse. This part of Plaza Las Delicias is probably the most famous and often seen in pictures.

In the middle of this plaza is the well-known Fuente de los Leones (Lions Fountain). This big, round fountain has a low wall made of marble and granite. The wall is shaped like an octagon, with one point facing the historic Ponce City Hall. The fountain also has four lion statues and water that glows with colored lights. The lion statues are placed at every other corner of the octagonal wall.

The fountain was bought in 1939 from the 1939 New York World's Fair. It was updated and fixed up in 1993. Its base was made bigger, and a new computer-controlled lighting system was added.

This plaza also has a statue of the famous Puerto Rican composer, Juan Morel Campos. This statue was also made by the Italian sculptor Luiggi Tomassi. You'll also find an obelisk here. It honors the firefighters who fought in the big "Polvorín" fire. This obelisk was revealed in 1948, marking 50 years since that terrible fire.

There's another statue called Blind Justice. It shows a woman in a long dress with her eyes covered. She holds a sword resting on the ground. Two happy children sit by her feet. One hugs the sword's base, and the other plays with an orange tree branch.

Plaza Degetau is also surrounded by important places. These include the Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral and Parque de Bombas to the north. You'll also find hotels, the Ponce City Hall, banks, and a famous ice cream shop called "King's Cream".

What the Plaza Looks Like

The Plaza has wide sidewalks with pretty mosaic tiles. It features well-kept flower gardens and neatly trimmed bushes. You'll see tall Indian laurel trees and old-fashioned lampposts from the late 1800s. There are also many marble benches where you can sit and relax.

The Lions Fountain is a highlight, known as "one of the most beautiful fountains in Puerto Rico." It's made of marble and bronze.

The plaza is surrounded by many historic spots. These include Paseo Atocha, the old Fox Delicias Theater, and Callejon Amor (Love Alley). During the day, the plaza is busy with students, shoppers, and tourists. In the evenings, you can often enjoy live music concerts with families of all ages.

Events and Celebrations

The square is a popular place for many cultural events. Some of these include Carnaval Ponceño, Las Mañanitas, and Fiestas Patronales. Many music events for the Las Justas sporting competition also happen here.