San Germán () is a historic town and municipality located in the Sabana Grande Valley of southwestern region of Puerto Rico, south of Mayagüez and Maricao, north of Lajas, east of Hormigueros and Cabo Rojo, and west of Sabana Grande. San Germán is spread over eighteen barrios plus San Germán Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is both a principal city of the San Germán–Cabo Rojo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Mayagüez–San Germán–Cabo Rojo Combined Statistical Area.

San Germán is the second oldest city of Puerto Rico, after San Juan, and its historic downtown is preserved as the San Germán Historic District.

Puerto Rico was, at one time, divided administratively between the San Juan and the San Germán municipalities. The latter covered the western half of Puerto Rico and extended from the western shores of the island to Arecibo in the north and Ponce in the south.

History

thumb|250px|The Convent of Santo Domingo de Porta Coelio.|left

The population of San Germán when Alonso Manso was named the first bishop of Puerto Rico in 1511 was "about 50 residents". Outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Germán was one of the largest settlements in the 16th century, as well as Coamo and Aguada.

Spanish settlement in San Germán occurred early in the conquest and colonization of Puerto Rico. After the destruction of a small early settlement of the same name near modern-day Añasco during a Taíno uprising which started in February 1511, in 1512 the new settlement was built by Miguel Díaz at Guayanilla

and was named after Germaine of Foix, the second wife of King Fernando II, and in reference of Saint Germanus of Auxerre. This town was attacked by French corsairs in August 1528, May 1538 and 1554. The construction of a small fort began in 1540, but work stopped in 1546 when the population of the town began moving inland to the current modern location.

On May 12, 1571, the Royal Audience (Real Audiencia) of Santo Domingo authorized that both the populations of San Germán and Santa María de Guadianilla be merged into a single city due to the constant French attacks. The new city was built on the Hills of Santa Marta, next to the Guanajibo River in 1573. Its official name was Nueva Villa de Salamanca, named after the city of Salamanca in Spain. However, the population called the city San Germán el Nuevo (New San Germán) and, eventually, the Villa de San Germán (City of San Germán).

San Germán is also known as the "founder of towns", given the fact that in 1514 the Spanish Crown separated the island into two administrative territories (Partidos). The borders of the two partidos were established as the Camuy River to the north and the Jacagua River to the south. They were named the San Juan Partition and the San Germán Partition.

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in San Germán with the significant amount of rainfall.

Geography

San Germán is in the southwest region of the island. The town is located on the Sabana Grande valley which is bound by the Cordillera Central to the north and the Santa Marta Hills and the Lajas Valley to the south. Mountains in San Germán include Alto del Descanso () and Tetas de Cerro Gordo (). San Germán has a number of rivers: Río Caín, Río Duey, Río Rosario, Río Guanajibo (Estero), Río Hoconuco, Guamá River and Rio El Brujo.

Barrios

thumb|Subdivisions of San Germán.|left

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, San Germán is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as .

  1. Tuna

Sectors

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions) are further subdivided into smaller areas called (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.

Special Communities

(Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in San Germán: Ancones, Comunidad El Retiro, Comunidad Las Quebradas, La Tea, Parcelas Las Carolinas, Parcelas Minillas en Barrio Minillas, Parcelas Sabana Eneas, and Rosario Peñón.

Climate

Tourism

thumb|250px|Plaza Santo Domingo, located in the [[San Germán Historic District]]

San Germán's historic downtown is the site of the Porta Coeli church, one of the earliest Spanish churches built in the Americas. Porta Coeli is still a major historical attraction that attracts both domestic and international tourists every year.

Landmarks and places of interest

thumb|250px|[[Plaza Francisco Mariano Quiñones and the Church San Germán de Auxerre]]

  • Puente de Bolas (Bridge of Balls)
  • (San Germán history museum)
  • Casa Morales
  • Ceiba de la Libertad
  • San Germán Historic Gallery
  • Lola Rodríguez de Tió Museum
  • Casa Cruz de la Luna
  • Ramírez de Arrellano y Rossell Museum
  • Santo Domingo Plazuela
  • Three Races and One Culture Mural
  • San Germán Historic District
  • Porta Coeli
  • Inter-American University of Puerto Rico
  • Church San Germán de Auxerre
  • Russian Orthodox Church Saint John Climacus (Only Russian Orthodox Church in Puerto Rico)

The urban center of San Germán is mainly composed of Spanish colonial houses. Many have been restored and conserve their Spanish look while other houses are somewhat abandoned and in poor condition. There are ongoing projects employing public and private funding to preserve and restore many houses and monuments and to maintain San Germán's colonial era look.

Culture

thumb|250px|Plaza Santo Domingo

Festivals and events

San Germán celebrates its patron saint festival in late July / early August. The is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br />1899 (shown as 1900) 1910–1930<br />1930–1950 1960–2000 2010

2020

{| class="wikitable"

|+Ethnic distribution

|-

!colspan=3|Ethnicity – (self-defined) San Germán, Puerto Rico<br> – 2010 Census

|-----

! Ethnicity

! Population

! % of Total

|-----

| European||29,614||83.4%

|-----

| African||1,989||5.6%

|-----

| Native American and <br>Alaska Native||129||0.4%

|-----

| Asian||41||0.1%

|-----

| Native Hawaiian<br>Pacific Islander||5||0.0%

|-----

| Some other ethnicity||2,992||8.4%

|-----

| Two or more ethnicities||727||2.1%

|}

Government

thumb|200px|The new City Hall on Luna Street was built in 1989.

Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, San Germán is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is Virgilio Olivera Olivera from the New Progressive Party. Olivera was first elected in the 2020 general elections.

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district IV, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024, Jeison Rosa and Karen Michelle Román Rodríguez were elected as District Senators.

Transportation

By the 16th century there was a rough road called (Camino Real) connecting San Germán (which was located near the mouth of the Añasco River) to other areas of Puerto Rico, including San Sebastián, Arecibo, Toa Alta, and Caparra.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

Green – The Episcopal dignity and also the color of the Shield of Christopher Columbus and his son, don Diego Colón, Viceroy of the Indies, who named the city in honor of Germane de Foix.

Coat of arms

First Quarter: The Mitre and the Staff in a green field represent St. Germain of Auxerre, the Patron Saint of the city.

  1. Bartolome de Las Casas: PK-6
  2. Georgina Alvarado: PK-5
  3. Henry W. Longfellow: PK-5
  4. Herminia C. Ramirez: PK-5
  5. Julio Victor Guzman: KG-8
  6. Laura Mercado: 6–12
  7. Lola Rodriguez de Tio: 9–12
  8. Mariano Abril: PK-6
  9. (Second Unit) Francisco Maria Quinones: KG-8

The main campus of the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico is located adjacent to the downtown area of San Germán. It was founded in 1912 as the Polytechnical Institute of Puerto Rico, the first private university on the island. The Colegio San José, was a private school which was established in San Germán in 1930 and closed in 2017.

Puerto Ricans from San Germán

  • PFC Joseph R. (José) Martínez destroyed a German infantry unit and tank in Tunisia, during World War II, by providing heavy artillery fire, saving his platoon from being attacked in the process. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor, by General George S. Patton, thus becoming the first Puerto Rican recipient of said military decoration.
  • Ubaldino Ramírez de Arellano—Senator
  • Lola Rodríguez de Tió—poet, author of the original lyrics of Puerto Rico's national anthem, La Borinqueña, and pro-independence advocate
  • Benjamín Marcantoni – opera singer
  • Benicio del Toro—Award-winning actor
  • Francisco Mariano Quiñones—Abolitionist and politician
  • Samuel R. Quiñones—Longest-serving President of the Puerto Rico Senate, serving for twenty years.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="170px">

San Germán, Puerto Rico.jpg|San Germán

San German, Puerto Rico.jpg|Street in San Germán

LA BOTICA.jpg|Pharmacy Museum

Residential building in San Germán, Puerto Rico.jpg|Residential building in San Germán

</gallery>

See also

  • List of Puerto Ricans
  • History of Puerto Rico
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in San Germán, Puerto Rico
  • Did you know-Puerto Rico?

References

  • San German, Puerto Rico
  • San Germán and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
  • Official Webpage of the San German Atleticos
  • Welcome to Puerto Rico! San German Map
  • Welcome to Puerto Rico! San Germán
  • San German Municipality on Facebook