Porta Coeli Church in San Germán, Puerto Rico

Back in November, my daughter and I were in Puerto Rico for a memorial service for my wife (her mother) who passed away back in September. We found ourselves with a free day so we decided to drive from Rincón down to San Germán to spend a few hours visiting the Porta Coeli Church (El Convento de Santo Domingo de Porta Coeli in Spanish), one of the oldest church structures in the western hemisphere.

In 1609, the Dominican Order, a Catholic religious order founded by Castilian priest Dominic of Caleruega (1170–1221), built the Convento de Porta Coeli at the crest of a hill in what is now the 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.

The original building was ruined by the attack of the French and Caribs in 1511 and by 1544 only a dwelling of boards and 2 friars were left. The building that was originally built in 1609 had to be demolished in 1874 because of the abandoned conditions. In 1949, Monsignor McManus, the bishop of Ponce, transferred the property to the Department of Public Works and the restoration was completed by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. The work was finalized by 1960 and Porta Coeli (“Gateway to Heaven”) was turned into a museum with religious paintings and wooden carvings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

As I am wont to do, I brought along my camera (in this case, my trusty Lumix GH4) and a few lenses – enjoy the photographs…

You’ll need to be able to walk up a few stairs to enter the church…

At the top of the stairs, you can look over Plaza Santo Domingo in San Germán’s Historic District…

The original 18th century, carved, Baroque-style tableau (or altarpiece) is still there…

Today, all that remains of the old convent is one ruined wall that is attached to the north side of the church…

Outside the church, Casa Morales (also known as the Tomás Vivoni House, after its architect) is San Germán’s most widely recognized house. Designed in the Edwardian style, with wraparound porches, elaborate gables, and elements that might remind you of a Swiss chalet, it was built in 1913, reflecting the region’s turn-of-the-20th-century agrarian prosperity.

A short stroll from Porta Coeli, you’ll come across the Iglesia San Germán de Auxerre, which overlooks the Plaza Francisco Mariano Quiñones. Spanish settlers founded San Germán parish in 1510 and built the first permanent church in 1688. Puerto Ricans repaired and reconstructed the church between 1717 and 1739 after it had suffered earthquake damage. Between 1834 and 1897, new repairs were made to the building, and in 1920, the tower was rebuilt after the 1918 earthquake. The church was closed during our stop there, next time…

Across the Plaza is the unused (and closed to the public) Viejo Alcaldía (Old Town Hall). Built late in the 19th century, it’s awaiting its next life…

After a stroll around the surprisingly empty streets of San Germán’s Historic District (where is everybody?), it was time to head back to our hotel in Rincón and hope to catch the sunset..

We made it.