Puerto Rico – Craft & Architecture
Friday, November 11th, 2011Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as it is officially known is an unincorporated territory of the United States. It is located in the north-eastern Caribbean Sea and lies east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico literally means Rich Port in Spanish and is an archipelago which includes a main land and a number of smaller islands. The island is also called Borinquen from Boriken which is its original Taino name. The Spanish also call it the “La Isla del Encanto” or The Island of Enchantment in English.
History of Puerto Rico: Even though there was the presence of indigenous tribes on the archipelago, yet the history of the ancient times i.e. before the arrival of Christopher Columbus is not very visible. There are hardly any archaeological evidences of the indigenous communities unlike the Aztec and Inca. Most of the information comes from the documents recorded by the Spanish writers and the travelers to this region.
After Christopher Columbus landed here in 1493, he was greeted by a group of people who called themselves Tainos and belonged to the Arawak tribe. He named the island San Juan Bautista in honor of Saint John, the Baptist. By 1500, the Spanish colonization of the region began.
The local population was exploited and forced into slavery. Within the next fifty years, the number of surviving Tainos became very lean. They could not adjust to the hard work forced by the Europeans and the diseases that they brought with them. The tribe reached near extinction in just a few years. Later on African slaves were brought in and the original population was forced to flee to the mountains.
The Spanish reigned over the island for nearly three centuries and hence has a strong impact on the psycho-social fabric in the region. The architecture, arts and craft have a strong influence of the Spanish style.
Architecture of Puerto Rico: The Island’s architecture is heavily influenced by the Spanish style, given the long association with that country. It is reflected in the narrow winding cobblestone streets and the pastel colored tile-roofed buildings. This style of building houses is more prevalent in Andalusia in Southern Spain.
Most of these buildings are present in the old cities of San Juan and Ponce. It is said that there are nearly 400 Spanish styled structures in these two cities which are the finest examples of Spanish architecture in the New World. Old San Juan had the proud distinction of being one of the most important centers of Spanish commerce and military force in the Caribbean.
Some of the significant architectural marvels are:
- El Morro Fortress (World Heritage Site)
- The San Juan Cathedral
- The Dominican Convent
- Casa Blanca (Mansion built for the Island’s First Governor, Ponce de Leon)
- La Fortaleza (World Heritage Site)
- Casa Serralles (Home of the Oldest Rum-Producing Family in the region)
Crafts of Puerto Rico: As in all aspects of Puerto Rican lifestyle, the craft of the region is also influenced by the Spanish style. There are many crafts which are taken up by the Puerto Ricans and which are quite popular among the residents here.
Santos Carving: These are carvings of the various saints using clay, gold, stone or cedar wood. These figurines are usually from 8 to 20 inches tall. In Puerto Rico, each town has its patron saint and every home has a santos to protect the family. This craft has been in existence since the 1500s in this region.
Mundillos or Bobbin Lace-making: This is a kind of lace which is done by using the bobbin and it originated in Spain. It is now five centuries old here and exists in just these two places, in the whole world.
Papier-Mache Mask Making: This is one of the most popular of all the Puerto Rican crafts. These frightening caretas-papier-mache masks are worn during the carnival and have tangles of horns, fang-toothed leering expression and big bulging eyes.
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