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Aguada.- Limestone ruins stand as witnesses to history during each religious service held at the Ermita de Espinar in Aguada. A place known for having “a church within a church.”

The Catholic church keeps the remains of its original structure that, over the years, had been damaged by inclement weather and natural disasters.

“The history of the Ermita de Espinar dates back to the beginnings of colonization. The first Spanish settlement established in Aguada was the Villa de Sotomayor, in 1510. It was the first attempt to build a town in the western part of Puerto Rico. But the indigenous people rebelled against the Spaniards and the village was destroyed in 1511,″ explained Christian Acevedo, historian and director of the tourism office in the municipality of Aguada.

The attack caused the western region to be abandoned until 1513. Acevedo pointed out that a second attempt was then made to establish a settlement in that area; it was named San Germán.

“That’s when San Germán became the oldest town in the west. Within San Germán there was a religious order converting, who were the Dominicans. But the clergy wanted a second religious order to be in charge of organizing the indigenous people, teaching them about the Christian faith and European culture. So the Franciscan friars were asked to establish a small convent house near Puerto de la Aguada, which was what the area was called. There was no town yet, only a bay with that name. It was the traditional route ships would take to stock up on water,” said the historian.

Thus, a group of eight religious men led by Fray Alonso of Espinar, founded the convent that is now known as the Ermita de Espinar, or Parroquia Santuario de la Inmaculada Concepción de los Protomártires de Espinar (Parish Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception of the Protomartyrs of Espinar). The structure was built out of wood with a thatched roof.

“This first church was built between 1516-1523. That’s more or less the period it was made in because there’s no surviving document of the time to confirm the exact date. Its purpose was to teach the indigenous people to read, write, teach them Spanish, the Christian faith and convert them,” Acevedo said. He noted that the place became one of the first schools on the Island, as well as one of the first educational centers for the natives.

As the indigenous people’s faith was being transformed, they began to build their houses around the church. “So a few years later, this small church began to build a village that was named San Francisco de la Aguada; in other words, this area was the genesis of downtown Aguada. We were still a barrio of San Germán,” he said.

However, a rebellion by the Carib people—between 1530 and 1535—put an end to the town; it was destroyed. During the attack, all the inhabitants died, the church was burned and five of the eight founding priests of the church lost their lives.

“It’s the first site in the Caribbean and the only site in Puerto Rico where there is a historical record of priests dying in defense of the Christian faith. Five of the eight [priests] were martyred. There are five bodies buried beneath the altar. And, according to tradition, they’re said to be the martyrs,” Acevedo added.

The historian said that then, between 1590 and 1600, the Franciscan friars who survived the attack returned and built a new limestone church. The structure had a simple neoclassical façade, a gabled roof with an integrated tower and a bell.

“The church was being used more or less from the year 1600 until 1860. But in the middle of the 19th century the fervor for the Inmaculada Concepción began to decline and the barrio began to divide itself. So it was decided that the church should be closed, and it remained abandoned for almost 100 years. During those 100 years of abandonment, earthquakes, hurricanes and floods came and caused the church to deteriorate. It’s why it arrived to us as it is today, in ruins,” said the historian.

It was not until some 60 years later that a group of volunteers devoted to the Virgin, decided to rescue the ruins from oblivion. This gave way to the construction of the church as it is known today. It is a structure that covers the remains of the first one that is preserved as a monument church.

“The final decision was to build a replica of what the Ermita de Espinar looked like in order to protect the ruins from time,” said Acevedo.

Today, parishioners are able to experience attending mass in a temple—administered by the Capuchin Franciscans—where ancient walls more than 300 years old can be seen. They can also see the five statues honoring the friars who died during that attack.