Versión español

Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y San Matías Apóstol church

Manatí was founded in 1738 by Pedro Menéndez de Valdés. It was the ninth settlement to be officially recognized by the Spanish Crown in Puerto Rico. According to some historians, the name of the towntown, founding: A group of vecinos that wanted to found a town had to grant a power of attorney to one or more other vecinos to represent them before the governor and viceroy. This person could authorize the founding of the town and the establishment of a parish. The grantors of the power of attorney had to be a majority in the given territory and more than ten in number. Once the case had been made, the governor appointed a capitán poblador or settlement official to represent the vecinos and one or more delegates, who usually lived in nearby cabildos vecinos to receive the necessary documentation. Proof was required that the settlement was so far from a church that it was very difficult for the settlers to partake of sacraments and municipal services. In general, proof was provided of the absence or bad condition of roads and bridges. If the petition was approved, it was required that the vecinos mark off the new municipality and build public works such as a church, a parish house, a government house (Casa del Rey), a slaughterhouse, and a cemetery, and to set aside land for the town square or plaza and the commons (ejidos). The vecinos were expected to cover the cost of building these works by levying special assessments. Usually one of the land owners donated some land for the founding. Once the requirements had been met, the governor authorized the founding of the town and the parish, and he appointed a Lieutenant at War who usually was the same capitán poblador. is due to the proliferation of the marine mammal the manatee (Trichecus manatus) at the mouth of the Río Grande de Manatí. Other historians believe that the name is derived from the name of the rivers the Taino people called Manatuabón. It has been said that this river may have been the river mentioned by Juan Ponce de León as the Ana River, where he attempted to establish the first Spanish settlement, having been attracted by the rich valley and the promise of gold in the river. It is said that the settlers left because of the strong tides in the area.

Documents show that in 1729 Bishop Sebastián Lorenzo Pizarro visited the region and observed that a hermitagehermitage: A generally small sanctuary erected in sparsely settled areas to serve distant and nearby residents, although the main purpose was to ensure that far-flung settlers could fulfill their religious obligations. The construction of a hermitage was authorized for settlements that were more than six leagues from a center or on estancias and hatos with more than 30 residents. had been erected on the banks of the Manatí river, in honor of Our Lady of Candlemas. By 1733, the population had increased significantly and Governorgovernor: in the Spanish colonies, the governor was the figure immediately beneath the viceroy in political and legal affairs. Like the alcaldes mayores, the governors could not be vecinos, encomenderos or owners of land or mines in the jurisdiction. When the title was added to that of Captain General, the position also implied the highest military authority. Governorships were applied to sparsely populated colonies or frontier zones. Puerto Rico was a frontier zone. Matías de Abadía, who had named Pedro Menéndez de Valdés lieutenant of the Manatí riverbank, granted him a caballería, which in Puerto Rico was about 200 acres, of land in the Talantar channel for agricultural purposes.

Finally, the town was officially founded in June of 1738, in the Manatí Abajo ward of Arecibo. The first years were unlucky, the economy being devastated by pests that attacked the crops and storms that destroyed the town, including hurricanes Santa Rosa, on August 30, 1738 and San Leoncio, on September 12, 1738. In 1776, Friar Iñigo Abbad y Lasierra described Manatí as a prosperous settlement where there were 447 families, "more than three thousand souls." According to Villar Roces, Fernando Miyares González, another chronicler of the time, recounted the following in 1775: "There are about one hundred tile-roofed houses set closely together and some others scattered about. The church is built of stone and is the best on the island... There is a fair amount of activity in the town and the residents are comfortable; there is an infantry company of the Milicias Disciplinadas..." (Volume 13, p. 196).

In 1786, the town was destroyed by a large earthquake, but the residents quickly rebuilt it. In 1831, according to Pedro Tomás de Córdoba, the municipality included Bajura, Coto and Arenas Blancas, Cuchillas, Llanadas and Garrochales, Manatí Abajo, Palmas Altas, Río Arriba, Sabana Hoyos, Tierras Nuevas, and Yeguada wards. By the mid-19th century, Yeguada and Cuchillas wards had disappeared, and Punta and Boca wards were created. In 1878, Ubeda and Delgado do not mention Llanadas and Sabana Hoyos wards, but do mention the new ward of Florida, which many years later became an independent municipality. In 1899, Palmas Altas, Garrochales, Florida Adentro, Florida Afuera, and Manatí Abajo wards became part of the municipality of Barceloneta. Punta and Boca wards were also separated. In 1940, Coto ward was subdivided into Coto, Coto Norte, and Coto Sur.

In economic terms, in 1853, the town changed from mining to agriculture. Sugar cane became the principal crop, and there were twelve mills in operation. There were also five pottery shops, three barrel-making shops, and two carpenter shops. By then, there were 280 dwellings in Manati constructed of rubble and brick or wood, over two thousand straw bohíos, two plazas, eight streets, and a school with fifty students. The town population grew and the economy developed throughout the 20th century, and in July of 1994, Manati was designated a city. The town coat of arms was changed from showing three towers to showing five towers, a characteristic of a city coats of arms. Since then, the town became known as the metropolis. The city leaders have devoted significant effort to acquire cutting edge technology for the residents. On March 5, 1998, Manatí made history by launching Atenas Internet, the first Internet provider managed by a municipality.

In the cultural arena, in the early 20th century, Manatí was given the nickname of the "Athens of Puerto Rico" because of its extraordinary level of cultural and artistic activity. According to Villar Roces, Manatí outshone "most of the other municipalities, and because of the celebrity of its floral games, which were better even than those that were held in the principal cities of the island." (p. 197). The appellation is also due to the salons that were held on the terrace of the Spanish social club known as the Casino Español, "... which counted among its participants the most exquisite poets and brilliant men of letters such as José de Jesús Esteves, Enrique Zorrilla, Clemente Ramírez de Arellano, Angel M. Villamil, Cándido Alvarado, Luis Antonio Miranda, and Juan R. Parés." Many prominent intellectuals also came from San Juan, such as Luis Lloréns Torres, Evaristo Ribera Chevremont, Cristóbal Real, Nicolás Blanco, José Pérez Lozada, José Adsuar, and Manuel Fernández Juncos.

The town is also known as being one of the places on the island where the "wakes of the Cross" were held, a custom that originated in a remote era in the south of Spain. Some historians believe that the wake began to be sung in Puerto Rico after the 1787 earthquake. The Festival of the Cross is characterized by singing with rosary beads, known as the rosario cantao. According to the town custom, the event is held on three occasions: on the anniversary of the death of a loved one; because of a promise made to a saint; and in May, which is the month of the Cross. The Wakes of the Cross were held for nine consecutive nights, at the end of which there was a dance. At four o'clock in the morning, there was a procession to the beach, and the participants spent the rest of the day there.

Symbols

Flag
The Manatí flag has three horizontal stripes, the uppermost is white, the middle band is red and the bottom stripe is blue. The central band is narrower than the other two. The colors are those of the coat of arms of the founder of the town, Pedro Menénedez de Valdés.

Coat of Arms
The coat of arms is divided into four quarters by two intersecting lines in the shape of a cross. The first and third quarters bear a Greek temple, the Parthenon, a reference to Mananti`s appellation as the "Athens of Puerto Rico". The second and fourth quarters bear a manatee, representing the name of the city. A small shield at the center has flames, symbolizing the bonfires that are traditionally lit during the festival to honor the patroness of the city, Our Lady of Candlemas.