Capitol of Puerto Rico

Capitol of Puerto Rico
Capitolio de Puerto Rico
North façade of El Capitolio from Plaza San Juan Bautista through Plaza de la Democracia
Interactive
Alternative names	El Capitolio; Casa de las Leyes; Palacio de las Leyes
General information
Type	Legislature
Architectural style	Neoclassical, Beaux-Arts architecture
Location	Avenida Ponce de León and Avenida Muñoz Rivera, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Address	1 Plaza de la Democracia, San Juan, PR, 00901
Coordinates	18°28′1″N 66°6′21″W / 18.46694°N 66.10583°W / 18.46694; -66.10583
Construction started	1921
Completed	1929
Inaugurated	February 11, 1929
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Rafael Carmoega
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Official name	El Capitolio de Puerto Rico[1]
Designated	November 18, 1977
Reference no.	77001555[2]

The Capitol of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Capitolio de Puerto Rico), also known as Casa de las Leyes (House of Laws), and most commonly referred to as El Capitolio (The Capitol), is the seat of the Legislative Assembly, the bicameral legislature, composed of the Senate and House of Representatives, responsible for the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. Located on San Juan Islet immediately outside the Walls of Old San Juan, the oceanfront, neoclassical Beaux-Arts-style, entirely white marble-covered edifice was constructed between 1921 and 1929 to resemble the ancient Roman Pantheon in Rome, using as inspiration the Low Memorial Library in New York City. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.^[3][4][5]

The frieze on the north façade of the building is inscribed with the following text in Spanish by the first Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Luis Muñoz Marín:

The frieze on the south façade of the building is inscribed with the following text in English by the 16th president of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address: