Practically only a few dozen religious (with some adventurers and traders) formed the nucleus of this small Italian emigration until in the early 19th century.

From 1815, due to the Spanish Royal Decree of Grace, a few hundred Italians began to arrive in Puerto Rico.

[1] In fact, the Spanish crown issued this royal decree on 10 August 1815 with the intention of attracting European settlers to Puerto Rico and Cuba.

The Spanish government, believing that the pro-independence Puerto Rican and Cuban would lose popularity, gave land concessions to Italian, German, French and Irish colonists in exchange for swearing allegiance to the Spanish government and obedience to the Catholic Church.

After a period of five years, all received the so-called "Letter of Naturalization", which made them citizens of Spain and its colonial empire.