St. Augustine, FloridaWhat makes this city unique?

THE OLDEST CITY IN AMERICA

By Sharon Levesque

The history and culture.

Leave the theme parks behind, and step back in time to explore the sites, and wonders of St.

Augustine, Florida.

Visitors will find St. Augustine to be filled with a rich history.

In Search of the Fountain of Youth March 27, 1513

While searching for the Fountain of Youth, Juan Ponce de Leon catches sight of the Florida shore. After claiming the land for Spain, Ponce de Leon leaves the area believing the land was “inhospitable swampland.”

August 1565

Admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles is sent to Florida to reclaim the area for Spain.

Menendez established the first colony in America, and named the area St. “Augustin” in honor of his “hometown patron saint.”

August 1565

After coming ashore and claiming the land for Spain, Menendez and his crew celebrated the first

Catholic Mass on the shores of St. Augustine.

Early Inhabitants of Florida

Anthropologist estimate as many as half a million indigenous people inhabited Florida before the Spanish and French came to the shores of America.

Within two centuries these native people disappeared.

St. Augustine Transformed

Henry Flagler: Father of Florida Tourism

Flagler sees great potential for a resort town.

Flagler builds the Ponce de Leon Hotel in the style of Spanish architecture.

1885Flagler purchases the Jacksonville, St. Augustine,

and Halifax Railroad,renaming it the

Florida East Coast Railway.

Flagler begins to extend the existing railroad making transportation to St. Augustine more accessible.

Visitors looking to learn about the history of this great city will want to make the Castillo de San Marcos their

first stop.

The Castillo de San Marcos was built between

1672 and 1695.

Visitors will learn about the rich spiritual history of St. Augustine.

Mission of Nombre de Dios and

Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche

Another favorite tourist stop!

Stroll the quite grounds, and visit some interesting places.

Chapel of Our Lady of La Leche. Site of first Catholic Mass. Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine. Prince of Peace Church. Archeological Excavations.

A fun tourist stop at the top of the list!

Drink from the legendary Fountain of Youth.

Visit the Timucuan Indian Village.

Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park

On September 8, 2015 St. Augustine will

celebrate 450 years of history and culture.

There has never been a better time to take a trip to

St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest continuously

occupied city in the United States.

Come celebrate 450 years!Come celebrate the history and the culture

of St. Augustine, Florida!

20151565

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