Plaza del Quinto Centenario

At the time of the Spanish settlement of San Juan, the site of the Plaza del Quinto Centenario originally belonged to the Catholic Dominican Order, which established a monastery during the 16th century.

[1] As its current name describes, the modern square was built and finished in 1992 in time for the celebration of the 5th centenary (500th anniversary) of the European discovery of Puerto Rico and the Americas, during a period of extensive renovation and redevelopment of the Ballajá neighborhood along other important historic sites in Old San Juan.

Some of the musical performers included Rocío Jurado, José Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Ruth Fernandez, Ednita Nazario and Danny Rivera.

[1] The Plaza del Quinto Centenario today is one of the main staging locations for the annual San Sebastián Street Festival during the month of January.

[6] The square is bound by sculptures representing the Agnus Dei, and the Lamb of God, one of the symbols of San Juan and the main feature of the escutcheon of the coat of arms of Puerto Rico.