Porta Coeli

Porta Coeli, the gate of heaven, is the church of a Dominican convent founded in 1609 in what was then the island's second town; the building dates from 1692, was rebuilt in the eighteenth century after earthquakes, and survives as one of the oldest church buildings anywhere in the Americas. It is deliberately modest: a single rectangular hall of brick and rubble masonry with a plain triangular gable, standing at the top of a broad flight of stone steps above the plaza, its ausubo timber ceiling still in place. It now holds a small museum of religious art, with carved wooden santos, early paintings and altar pieces gathered from around the island. The town around it, laid out in the sixteenth century, is the other reason to make the drive.

History

The Dominicans built the convent of Porta Coeli in 1609 on the crest of a hill, and the church, first a chapel over a small square, dates from 1692. After earthquakes in 1717 and 1737 the convent was reconstructed and a new church built in the 18th century; in 1949 the church was sold to the Government of Puerto Rico for a dollar, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 (Wikipedia, Porta Coeli (Puerto Rico)).

What you'll find

• The chapel itself - a single-nave church of brick and rubble, dating from 1692.
• The ausubo ceiling - original hardwood beams overhead.
• The santos collection - carved wooden saints from across the island.
• The stone stair and plaza - the approach the whole town is arranged around.

When to go

December to April is the drier season. The museum keeps limited hours and closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check before driving out. Combine with a walk around San Germán's two historic plazas.

Practical notes

It is very small and takes half an hour, so it works as part of a wider trip to the southwest rather than a destination alone. Hours are short and have been unreliable. Labels are largely in Spanish. San Germán is two hours from San Juan.

Nearby

San Germán's plazas surround it; La Parguera is half an hour south.

Key facts