San José Church facts for kids
The San José Church (Spanish: Iglesia de San José) is a very old and important building in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is one of the first big buildings ever made on the island. This church is also one of the oldest examples of 16th-century Spanish Gothic architecture in the Western Hemisphere. In 2013, it was listed as one of the 11 most endangered historic places. This meant it needed help to be saved!
History
The church was built a long time ago, between 1528 and 1735. It was started by a group of monks called the Dominican Order. They built it as part of their Saint Aquinas monastery. Later, in 1858, another group called the Jesuits took over and renamed it.
Juan Ponce de León, who was the first governor of Puerto Rico, was buried here. His remains were in the church from 1559 until 1836. Then, they were moved to the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista. However, his family symbol is still near the main altar. His grandson, Juan Ponce de Leon II, is also buried under the church floor. A famous Puerto Rican painter, José Campeche, is buried here too.
In 1972, a very old painting from the 15th century, called Our Lady of Bethlehem, went missing from the church. In 2002, a big project started to fix up the building. During this work, several old wall paintings were found. One of them showed a battle from the mid-1800s called the Battle of Lepanto. In 2004, the church was added to the 2004 World Monuments Watch list. This helped get support for its repair. The church was fully restored and finished in March 2021.
Gallery
-
Front view in 1933
-
Exterior view in 1933
-
Gothic interior, photo of 1933
-
South facade in 1933
-
View of the church in 1933
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San José (San Juan, Puerto Rico) para niños
- Galería Nacional
- List of the oldest buildings in Puerto Rico
- Capilla del Cristo
- Cathedral of San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Casa Blanca (San Juan)
