A Spanish soldier and
explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon is probably best remembered for his
search for the fabled Fountain of Youth. He was born in the province
of Leon in northwestern Spain in 1460. In 1493 he accompanied
Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to America. Ponce de Leon
established a colony on Puerto Rico in 1508 and was made governor in
1509. In Puerto Rico he heard a legend about an island called
Bimini, where there was said to be a spring that restored youth to
all who bathed in it. It is said he was seeking this spring when he
discovered Florida.
He sailed from Puerto Rico in March 1513. On Easter Sunday he
sighted the coast. A few days later he landed on Florida's east
coast, near what is now Saint Augustine. He named the place La
Florida after the Spanish term for Easter Sunday (“Pascua Florida”,
or "flowery feast"). He then sailed around the peninsula and up the
west coast. He returned to Florida in 1521. Wounded during an Indian
attack, he was taken back to Cuba, where he soon died. Ponce de Leon
is buried in the cathedral at San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Click on the Piece of Eight to return to the Main Page
A Spanish soldier and
explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon is probably best remembered for his
search for the fabled Fountain of Youth. He was born in the province
of Leon in northwestern Spain in 1460. In 1493 he accompanied
Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to America. Ponce de Leon
established a colony on Puerto Rico in 1508 and was made governor in
1509. In Puerto Rico he heard a legend about an island called
Bimini, where there was said to be a spring that restored youth to
all who bathed in it. It is said he was seeking this spring when he
discovered Florida.
