Porta Coeli ('Gateway to Heaven') Convent church, or El Convento de Santo Domingo de Porta Coeli in Spanish, is one of the oldest church structures in the western hemisphere, located in San Germán, Puerto Rico.
In 1609, the Dominican Order built the Convento de Porta Coeli at the crest of a hill in what is now San Germán Historic District. During the 18th century the Convento was reconstructed and a church built next to it. The single nave church was constructed of rubble masonry with stucco surfaced walls and a wood truss roof.[3]
In 1949 Ubaldino Ramírez de Arellano, Monseñor Mac Manus, Bishop of Ponce, Senator Santiago R. Palmer and others arranged for the church of Porta Coeli in San German to be sold to the Government of Puerto Rico for a dollar so that it would be responsible for its safekeeping and preservation.[4]
After restoration by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, the church now houses the Museo de Arte Religioso. This is a museum of religious paintings and wooden carvings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The building was listed in 1976 on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as "Convento de Porta Coeli".
Cemetery
There is also a Porta Coeli cemetery in Puerto Rico. Located in Bayamón, it is the resting grounds, among others, of Luis Aguad Jorge, a Cuban actor who became famous in Puerto Rico as the enanito de Holsum, or Holsum (bread)'s dwarf.[5]
^González Mendoza, Juan R.; Vega Lubo, Ramonita; García Goyco, Osvaldo; Maza, Doris (September 1993), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: San Germán Historic District(PDF), retrieved February 2, 2016.
^"Convento de Porta Coeli". Historic Places in Puerto Rico . National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
^. Luis M. Iriarte R. Archived from the original on November 9, 2001. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
porta, coeli, puerto, rico, porta, coeli, gateway, heaven, convent, church, convento, santo, domingo, porta, coeli, spanish, oldest, church, structures, western, hemisphere, located, germán, puerto, rico, convento, porta, coeliu, national, register, historic, . Porta Coeli Gateway to Heaven Convent church or El Convento de Santo Domingo de Porta Coeli in Spanish is one of the oldest church structures in the western hemisphere located in San German Puerto Rico Convento de Porta CoeliU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S Historic districtContributing propertyPorta Coeli Church San German Puerto RicoLocation of San German and the Porta Coeli in Puerto RicoLocationPlaza Porta Coeli San German Puerto RicoCoordinates18 04 55 N 67 02 28 W 18 082002 N 67 041002 W 18 082002 67 041002 Coordinates 18 04 55 N 67 02 28 W 18 082002 N 67 041002 W 18 082002 67 041002Built1609Part ofSan German Historic District 2 ID94000084 NRHP reference No 76002252 1 Added to NRHPSeptember 8 1976Altar of Porta Coeli Church with the Virgin Mary in the top center Contents 1 History 2 Cemetery 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditIn 1609 the Dominican Order built the Convento de Porta Coeli at the crest of a hill in what is now San German Historic District During the 18th century the Convento was reconstructed and a church built next to it The single nave church was constructed of rubble masonry with stucco surfaced walls and a wood truss roof 3 In 1949 Ubaldino Ramirez de Arellano Monsenor Mac Manus Bishop of Ponce Senator Santiago R Palmer and others arranged for the church of Porta Coeli in San German to be sold to the Government of Puerto Rico for a dollar so that it would be responsible for its safekeeping and preservation 4 After restoration by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture the church now houses the Museo de Arte Religioso This is a museum of religious paintings and wooden carvings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries The building was listed in 1976 on the U S National Register of Historic Places as Convento de Porta Coeli Cemetery EditThere is also a Porta Coeli cemetery in Puerto Rico Located in Bayamon it is the resting grounds among others of Luis Aguad Jorge a Cuban actor who became famous in Puerto Rico as the enanito de Holsum or Holsum bread s dwarf 5 References Edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service March 13 2009 Gonzalez Mendoza Juan R Vega Lubo Ramonita Garcia Goyco Osvaldo Maza Doris September 1993 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form San German Historic District PDF retrieved February 2 2016 Convento de Porta Coeli Historic Places in Puerto Rico National Park Service Retrieved 2009 05 25 Capilla de Santo Domingo de Porta Coeli Luis M Iriarte R Archived from the original on November 9 2001 Retrieved July 10 2010 Enanito de Holsum Primera HoraExternal links Edit Puerto Rico portalMuseo de Arte Religioso Santo Domingo de Porta Coeli Institute of Puerto Rican Culture Spanish Museum information with photos Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Porta Coeli Puerto Rico amp oldid 1097245648, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
