Photo-journal by Dr. Jessica Magnani
Dr. Jessica Magnani’s scholarly pursuits resulted in travel to the Latin American Studies Association conference in San Juan where she delivered a presentation on Latin American Literature. She later sent us some spectacular photos of Old San Juan. Her areas of interest include Latino/a and Chicano/a Literature, African American Literature, Contemporary American Literature, and Gender Studies. Dr. Magnani’s research and publications frequently explore connections between culture and identity in Latin American Literature.
Old San Juan is a National Historic Site. In the early 16th century, “San Juan was the point of departure for Spanish expeditions to unknown parts of the New World” (Encyclopædia Britannica). The oldest parts of the city remain enclosed by defensive walls. Important colonial forts include Fort San Felipe del Morro, Fort San Cristóbal, and El Palacio de Santa Catalina: “Its fortifications repulsed the English navigator Sir Francis Drake in 1595 as well as later attackers, but George Clifford, 3rd earl of Cumberland, captured it briefly in 1598, and a Dutch force took the city from the landward side in 1625. In response, the fortress of San Cristóbal, the largest Spanish fort in the New World, was built to the northeast, and, from 1634 to 1638, walls were erected across the southern part of the city, facing the harbour. The bastions existing today were largely added during the period 1765–83. In May 1898 the guns of San Cristóbal engaged a U.S. fleet that bombarded the city. Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory under the terms of the Treaty of Paris that same year” (Encyclopædia Britannica). See Professor Magnani’s photos of her travels in Puerto Rica’s beautiful capital (2015).
El Morro Fort Adjacent to Cementerio Santa Magdalena de Pazzis by Dr. Jessica Magnani
The Walls of Old San Juan’s forts by Dr. Jessica Magnani
The Streets of Old San Juan by Dr. Jessica Magnani
The Colorful Architecture of Old San Juan by Dr. Jessica Magnani
Works Cited
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “San Juan, Puerto Rico,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Juan-Puerto-Rico
Images by Dr. Jessica Magnani