Plaza de la Rogativa is situated near the Puerta de San Juan, inside the city walls and overlooking the San Juan Bay. In the middle of the plaza is La Rogativa (meaning The Procession), one of San Juan’s most beautiful sculptures.
The four bronze statues tell the legend of a Catholic bishop and his companions, who paraded through the streets during a British invasion in 1797. On the 30th of April, Sir Abercromby led British troops into the city through a naval blockage. Spanish reinforcements were unable to access the city by water, due to the blockage, and would take ages to reach the area by land. Desperate, and at a loss as to how to protect his city, the governor ordered a religious procession to ask the saints for help.
The Bishop, accompanied by unarmed men and women of the city, took to the streets holding crosses and torches, while chanting hymns. The British thought they were reinforcements coming to protect the city and quickly retreated, abandoning their siege.
The sculpture was created by Lindsay Daen in 1971 to commemorate San Juan’s 450th anniversary.
SOURCES:
- https://www.touroldsanjuan.com/the-legend-of-la-rogativa/
- https://sanjuanpuertorico.com/plaza-de-la-rogativa-old-san-juan-puerto-rico/#15/18.4656/-66.1196
- https://www.puertorico.com/sights/la-rogativa/
- https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/osj-outdoor-art/
- https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/battle-1797-reenactment/
- https://www.discoveringpuertorico.com/1797-battle-of-san-juan/
