Ponce
Teatro La Perla is a historic theater in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Inaugurated in 1864, it is the second oldest theater of its kind in Puerto Rico, but "the largest and most historic in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean." The theater was named La Perla in honor of the Virgin of Montserrat (Spanish: La Virgen de Montserrat), known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean." It is located in barrio Tercero, in the Ponce Historic Zone.DesignThe theater was designed in the 1860s by Juan Bertoli Calderoni (a Ponceño of Italian heritage resident of the city) and it bears a neoclassical structure with an impressive six-column entrance. The building was badly damaged by the 1918 earthquake. However, it was rebuilt in 1940 using the original plans and reopened in 1941 with better acoustics technology. It closed in 2006 for renovations and reopened on March 14, 2008.HistoryTeatro La Perla was built under the initiative of Francisco Parra Duperón and Pedro Garriga in May 1864. It was inaugurated on 28 May 1864 with the play La campana de la Almudaina of the Majorcan writer Juan Palou y Coll by the theatrical company of Segarra & Argente.
The La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex is a sector located in barrio Playa in Ponce, Puerto Rico with family recreational and cultural facilities that opened on June 23, 1998. The highlight of the complex is La Guancha Boardwalk, which is flanked by a beach, an observation tower, an amphitheater, and 24 open-air kiosks. It was developed during the administration of Mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago.HistoryOriginally La Guancha consisted of a road alongside a dike built close to the easternmost shore of barrio Playa across from Ponce Yacht Club. The romantic area was frequented by families and sweethearts alike, especially on weekends, for relaxion and bonding. During the administration of Mayor Cordero, however, a number of facilities were added to the La Guancha area at a cost of over $18 million, developing it into a new recreational complex.
