Experts' Choice Award Catedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista
What the experts agree on
Built in 1540 as a Gothic replacement for a hurricane-destroyed chapel, this spiritual centerpiece draws visitors mainly for Ponce de León's marble tomb and the preserved body of St. Pio on display.
“The spiritual and architectural centerpiece of Old San Juan began construction in 1540 as a replacement for a thatch-roofed chapel that was blown apart by a hurricane in 1529.”
– Frommer's
Lonely Planet "Most people come to see the marble tomb of Ponce de León and the body of religious martyr St Pio displayed under glass." Full review
Fodor's "The Catholic shrine of Puerto Rico had humble beginnings in the early 1520s as a thatch-roofed, wooden structure." Full review
Lonely Planet "The surfeit of architectural showpieces includes the venerable Gothic Catedral de San Juan Bautista, built in 1540"
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