Juan Ponce de León y Loayza
| Juan Ponce de León y Loayza | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Juan Ponce de León y Loayza San Juan, Puerto Rico, Viceroyalty of New Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish (Puerto Rican) |
| Citizenship | Spain |
| Known for | City of Ponce named after him |
| Spouse(s) | Doña Ana de Salamanca |
| Parent(s) |
Juan Ponce de León II Doña Isabel de Loayza |
Juan Ponce de León y Loayza (born San Juan, Puerto Rico) was the son of Juan Ponce de León II (born Juan Troche-Ponce de León), the interim Spanish governor of Puerto Rico in 1579. His mother was Isabel de Loayza born in Villa Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain, the daughter of Governor Iñigo López de Cervantes y Loayza. The city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, was named after Juan Ponce de León y Loayza.
Juan Ponce de León y Loayza's father, Juan Ponce de León II, was the son of lady Juana Ponce de León, one of three daughters born of Juan Ponce de León, the Spanish conquistador, and his wife Leonora Ponce de León (their other three children were Isabel, Maria, and Luis). Thus, Juan Ponce de León y Loayza was the great-grandson of the Spanish conquistador and first governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de León.
In his trip from Spain to Puerto Rico in August 1577, Bishop Diego de Salamanca, not finding a commercial ship heading to Puerto Rico at the time, boarded a Spanish warship headed to Mexico, which dropped him off in the southern coast of Puerto Rico at Guanica. He then rode by horse through the interior of the Island in his way to his post in San Juan.
While traveling to San Juan, he took notice that the southern region was not being attended to by the Spanish leaders in San Juan, and while in San Juan, made efforts to have farmers sent to the South to settle there and work the land. Having married Doña Ana de Salamanca, the niece of Bishop Diego de Salamanca, Juan Ponce de León y Loayza learned of Diego's efforts and became interested in colonizing the area, thus becoming one of the first settlers on the southern shores of Puerto Rico.
The first Spanish settlement was near Rio Jacaguas, but being too vulnerable to Indian attacks at that location, the colony moved further west and inland to the banks of Rio Portugues, near the center of the current location of the city that bears his name.
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