The second oldest settlement in Puerto Rico,
SAN GERMÁN
is 16 km from the Cabo Rojo Peninsula, and an hour's drive from Ponce. Founded in 1512, the city is home to the oldest church under US jurisdiction, and an array of period architecture - 36 acres of San Germán's historic centre are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Despite this distinction, a sense of neglect and indifference to history pervades the town. Its architecture seems very much in disrepair, and the nearly 39,000 residents don't seem particularly proud of the heritage. The greatest signs of life on the ancient stone and brick streets and plazas are skater kids, and locals seem far more interested in the strip of fast-food joints, shops and bars on Calle Luna, a block off the main squares. San Germán is so easy to reach from Ponce, however, that if you're in the southwest it's worth a trip here just to see the churches and dine on some of the island's best food at
Café Cilantro
.
Maps and architectural tours are available at the mayor's office (tel 787/892-3500) outside the historic centre on Calle Luna. You can also tour the town by
trolley
, which departs from La Casa Alcaldía Antigua, at the eastern end of Plaza Francisco Mariano Quiñones in the historic centre, from Thursday to Sunday.
The Iglesia de Porta Coeli
on the Plazuela de Santo Domingo (Wed-Sun 9am-4.45pm; tel 787/892-5845) is the city's chief attraction and the oldest standing church on US turf. Originally built as the chapel for a Dominican monastery, the simple structure was completed in 1607; an adjacent convent was destroyed in 1868, save for the front wall, which still remains. Today, the site functions as a museum of
santos
and other religious artefacts. Set on top of a hill, it is accessed via steep pyramidal brick steps.
Far more ornate than Porta Coeli is the yellow Spanish Baroque
Catedral de San Germán de Auxerre
, on the Plaza Francisco Mariano Quiñones. Still an active parish, it was built in 1739 on the site of an older chapel dating from 1573, and is famed for the trompe l'oeil fresco on its ceiling in the main nave, lit by a brilliant crystal chandelier. Visit during Mass or call 787/892-1027 to see if the chaplain will unlock the doors.
