The statue of Juan Ponce de Leon stands high among the palm trees in the center of Ponce de Leon Circle. A 14-foot white granite pedestal carved with wreaths and garland supports the bronze sculpture. The Spanish explorer extends his right arm, pointing northward. He rests his left hand on the hilt of his sword. Dressed in 16th Century armor and a feather-plumed hat, the weathered figure commands the skyline of St. Augustine’s harbor. This sculpture is a replica of the original bronze in San Juan, Puerto Rico created by C. Bupert. It was cast by the Gorham Manufacturing Company. St. Augustine sculptor Adrian Pillars carved the elaborate pedestal. The monument was a gift to the City from Dr. Andrew Anderson in 1923.

HISTORY

Ponce de Leon was among the first wave of Conquistadors who charted and colonized the New World. After centuries of territorial battles, power grabs, and religious conflict, the Spanish monarchy shifted force across the Atlantic to claim land and riches. The risks were considerable. Treacherous oceans. Enemy combatants. Limited provisions. These threats were exceeded only by the prospect of personal wealth, for the explorers would share in the spoils of war.

There are no official records of Ponce de Leon’s birth. Historians believe he was born in 1460. The young noble sailed as a “gentleman voyager” on Christopher Columbus’ second trans-Atlantic expedition in 1493. They landed in the Caribbean, where Ponce de Leon rose to military commander of Hispaniola, known today as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. There, he discovered gold and the nearby island of Puerto Rico.

In 1506, Ponce de Leon returned with orders to settle Puerto Rico, but after a dispute with the son of Christopher Columbus, he was fired. Ponce struck a new deal with King Ferdinand to explore the surrounding islands. He set sail with three ships, seeking wealth and the mythical fountain of youth. Along the journey, they encountered the Gulf Stream, a sea “highway” that would accelerate voyages to Europe and revolutionize trade.

On April 2, 1513, the fleet anchored off the coast of Florida. Ponce de Leon could not have imagined the land before him was the peninsula of a vast North American continent. He claimed it for Spain, naming the lush terrain in honor of the Easter feast of flowers. Conflicts with unfriendly natives soon forced the expedition back to Puerto Rico.

At age 61, Ponce returned to Florida as Governor to establish a Spanish colony. Occupying a foreign territory, however, is not without risks. Some natives adapted. Many rebelled. While Christianizing Calusa tribes, the Conquistador was wounded by an arrow. He retreated to Havana, Cuba and died weeks later. His remains were buried in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

It is difficult to separate fact from legend when it comes to Ponce de Leon. There is some debate about exactly where he landed. But we know his discovery marked the end of one epoch and the beginning of another. The new era opened with a continuation of rivalries in this hemisphere between Spain and other European countries, followed by a 300-year struggle to maintain control over this wild and strange, subtropical landmass called “La Florida.”