Juan Ponce de León - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

As you enter the rear of the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista you will find the tomb of Juan Ponce de León about half-way down the north side aisle on the left in a large room.

On top of the tomb is a beautiful marble relief sculpture of a lady in flowing robes with a sword on her right hip. She is bending over and kissing what looks like a coffin on top of a pedestal. She has her left hand wrapped around a vertically held flag.

Below the figure is the Spanish inscription:

I. N. D.
BAJO EL PONTIFICADO DE SU SANTIDAD PIO X Y OCUPANDO LA SEDE EPISCOPAL DE PUERTO RICO
MONSENOR GUILLERMO JONES,
SE TRASLADARON À ÈSTA INGLES CATEDRAL, DESDE LA CONVENTUAL DE STO. TOMAS DE AQUINO (HOY DE SAN JOSÈ)
DONDE SE HALLABAN DEPOSITADOS DESDE 1559, LOS DESPOJOS MORTALES DE
JUAN PONCE DE LEON
(NATURAL DE LA TIERRA DE CAMPOS) DE CUYO LINAJE HILDAGO FUERON LIMPIA EJECUTORIA SUS BIZARROS HECHOS.
SOLDADO EN GRANADA, CAPITÀN EN LA ESPAÑOLA, CONQUISTADOR Y GOBERNADOR DE SAN JUAN DEL BORIQUÈN,
DÈSCUBRIDOR Y PRIMER ADELANTADO DE LA FLORIDA, MÌLITE VALEROSO, DIESTRO CAUDILLO VASALLO LEAL,
PROBO ADMINISTRADOR PADRE AMANTÌSIMO Y COLONO LABORIOSO Y CONSECUENTE, RINDIÒ EL ALMA À DIOS Y EL CUERPO A LA TIERRA EN LA HABANA (JUNIO DE 1521)
À SU MEMORIA VENERANDA Y EN HONOR À LA CIVILIZATIÒN CHRISTIANA POR SU IMPULSO INTRODUCIDA,
POR SU BRAVURA CIMENTADA, Y POR SU DILIGENTE COOPERACIÒN DIFUNDIDA
EN ÈSTA FECUNDA TIERRA PORTORRIQUENA, CONSAGRA PIADOSO HOMENAJE,
EL CASINO ESPAÑOL DE SAN JUAN.
A. D. 1909

-------My Approximate Translation --------------

I N.D.
UNDER THE PONTIFICATE OF HIS HOLINESS PIUS X AND OCCUPYING THE EPISCOPAL SEAT OF PUERTO RICO
MONSIGNOR WILLIAM JONES,
IS TRANSFERRED TO THE ENGLISH CATHEDRAL, FROM THE CONVENT OF SANTO TOMÁS OF AQUINO (TODAY'S SAN JOSE)
WHERE WERE DEPOSITED FROM 1559, THE MORTAL REMAINS OF
JUAN PONCE DE LEON
(NATIVE OF THE LAND OF FIELDS) WHOSE HILDAGO LINEAGE WERE CLEAN RECORD THEIR BIZARRE FACTS.
SOLDIER IN GRANADA, SPANISH CAPTAIN, CONQUISTADOR AND GOVERNOR OF SAN JUAN OF THE BORIQUÉN,
DISCOVERER AND FIRST GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA, COURAGEOUS MILITARYMAN , SKILLED LOYAL VASSAL LEADER,
HONEST ADMINISTRATOR LOVING FATHER AND LABORIOUS AND CONSEQUENT,
SETTLER GIVEN THE SOUL TO GOD, AND THE BODY TO LAND IN HAVANA (JUNE OF 1521)
TO THE VENERABLE MEMORY AND IN HONOR OF THE CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION BY ITS IMPULSE INTRODUCED,
FOR HER BRAVERY BASED, AND FOR THEIR DILIGENT WIDESPREAD COOPERATION IN THIS FERTILE PUERTO RICAN LAND,
ENSHRINES PIOUS TRIBUTE THE SPANISH SAN JUAN CASINO.
A. D. 1909

Below is a carved garland and the tomb. At the top of the tomb there appears the inscription in Latin:

MOLE SUB HAC FORTIS REQUIESCUNT OSSA LEONIS
QUI VICIT FACTIS NOMINA MAGNA SUIS.

My English translation:

Under this tomb rest the bones of Leon
who by conquering made great his name.

Description: Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer. Historians believe that recent evidence indicated he was born in July 1474. In 1493, he accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to the New World. In 1506, he discovered the island of Puerto Rico. Later he was appointed by king of Spain to be the first Governor of Puerto Rico only to be replaced two years later by Columbus' son, Diego. He next sailed through the Bahamas and was the first European to reach and name Florida, the land of flowers. He claimed the land for Spain and explored the land on a fruitless search for the mythical "Fountain of Youth". He continued to explore the east coast and eventually reached the Florida Keys. Sailing on he came upon the Dry Tortugas, so named because of the lack of water an presence of turtles. In 1521, he returned to Florida with the aim of establishing a colony. He was shot in the thigh by an arrow by a native and was seriously wounded. He retreated to Cuba and died there at the age of 47. Date of birth: 07/15/1474 Date of death: 07/15/1521 Area of notoriety: Historical Figure Marker Type: Monument Setting: Indoor Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link] Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Not listed

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