We headed to St. Augustine, Florida, San Agustín in Spanish, with the desire to learn about half-forgotten chapters in the history of the United States. In this place, where just over 510 years ago, about 100 before the arrival of the Mayflower to the northern land, the expedition of the Spanish explorer Ponce de León arrived in search of possessions, fortune and the figurative Fountain of Youth that many sought. .
The historical tour of this centuries-old Floridian city begins precisely where De León and his group of men landed between April 2 and 3, 1513.
After decades of study and archaeological investigations, the place has a dedicated amusement park Fountain of Youthor fountain of youth, with interesting reproductions of buildings of the time and endless stories to decipher.
In addition to the supposed water source, where everyone comes to taste the precious liquid in the hope of rejuvenation, the replica of a small hamlet of the Timucua Indians who inhabited the place stands out.
The hamlet even collects what is known about the burial of the aborigines, which thanks to the dedicated work of anthropology comes to light.
“Right here,” said anthropologist Chad, pointing to a spot near a tree, “is the tomb of a lady that dates back more than 1,200 years, but we didn’t continue digging because we feared that the federal authorities would regulate the process,” he noted. . It is the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 that governs the excavation of archaeological sites on federal lands or lands that belonged to Indians.
“Ponce de León’s first expedition was followed by others, but it was not until 1565 that the Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established what we know today as the first European settlement in North America, where streets were outlined, buildings were built, and a commercial movement,” the archaeologist recalled.
In the amusement park there is also the site where it is believed that Menéndez de Avilés established the first Spanish town in Florida territory on September 8, 1565, with outlined streets and first civil constructions.
There is even a reproduction of the Nombre de Dios house of prayer, which the Franciscan fathers built a few years later.
first mass
A few steps from here it is Name of God Missionwhich is a large field overlooking the sea where Pedro Menéndez de Avilés landed and Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales, who was the chaplain of the expedition, celebrated the first Thanksgiving mass.
Highlights include the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Leche, a Marian apparition popular among Spanish settlers of the time.
The original chapel was destroyed in 1728 by British invaders and rebuilt in 1875 and later rebuilt in 1914.
In this place, looking at the sea, you can see an enormous cross, made of steel, which rises up to 208 feet high, just over 63 meters, a few steps from the place where it is believed that the first mass was celebrated.
On a four-step pedestal rests an overwhelming sculpture of the priest López de Mendoza Grajales, made in bronze by the artist Ivan Mestrovic, who with open arms looks at the infinity of the heavens.
We continue the historical tour in the military fort that the Spanish built at the end of the 17th century San Marco Castlewhere, by order of the national parks administration, the old Castilian flag of the Burgundian cross flies.
In front of the military fortress, which keeps stories of great battles, refuge and prisoners, the two columns and part of the retaining wall that announce the entrance to the old city still prevail.
Along its main St. George Street, which existed as an unnamed main road in Spanish times, an old wooden school, mansions from the period and renovated buildings announce the splendor that this place had 400-odd years ago.
Evolution
Desired and besieged by English and French corsairs and pirates, but always defended, the city of St. Augustine finally passed into British hands in 1763, when the Treaty of Paris granted Florida to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in exchange for the Spanish They recovered Havana, which had been invaded by the English.
However, “20 years later, another treaty between the English and Spanish returned Florida to Spain, and Saint Augustine recovered its historical trajectory,” said the archaeologist, until the Florida peninsula was acquired by the nascent territory of the United States of America in 1821 in exchange for five million dollars at the time, about 137 million today.
In this way, 24 years later, Florida became part of the American Union in 1845. Its main city at that time, St. Augustine, grew to appear today as the oldest city of European origin in the United States and North America, where history It tells us passages that were left behind for many years.
How to get
The best way to get to St. Augustine is by road from Miami or another city or through Jacksonville International Airport.
If you choose to travel by plane, there is personalized transportation service to St. Augustine at the Jacksonville Air Terminal, as well as buses that you can board in Downtown Jacksonville.
Where to Stay
The accommodation offering is wide, from five-star hotels to hostels and Airbnb apartments that you can rent.
Consult the portal viajastaugustine.com for more information.
