The Letras de Ponce (English: Ponce letters) is a famous landmark in Barrio Sabanetas in Ponce, Puerto Rico, located southbound on PR-52 at the intersection with PR-10. The iconic monument consists of five letters that spell the name of the city P-O-N-C-E in by by red and black letters. The letters, and its resulting sign, were designed by Carlos Rivera Villafañe, a sculptor from Ponce.Conjunto excultorico Letras de Ponce. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011. The landmark is said to be "known to every Puerto Rican."Alonso & Carus...50 años de arduo trabajo y dedicación. Planos y Capacetes. March – April 2012. Page 20. Retrieved 28 September 2012.

History In 2002 the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation presented a contest for the design of a monument to be placed on State Route 52 (PR-52), at the entrance of the city of Ponce.Ponce: Letras de Ponce. F. Suarez. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico. Page 15. Retrieved 6 November 2011. The contest was part of what would become 97 projects of public art spread throughout Puerto Rico.The Ponce Letters Monument. Travel Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.

In selecting the work of art, the Government of Puerto Rico considered 318Ponce: Letras de Ponce. F. Suarez. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico. Page 15. Retrieved 6 November 2011. submissions from hundreds of artists around the world, including Ada Bobonis, Ann Hamilton, Antoni Muntadas, Liliana Porter, and Devorah Sperber.Las Letras de Ponce: Símbolo del orgullo ponceño…¡al estilo Hollywood! Rachell E. López Ortiz. KoolTour Activa Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011. Rivera Villafañe's proposal was one of the winners, and the winner for the Ponce entrance monument.

Construction and design The letters are built of "marine steel", also known as Cor-Ten, the same material used in the construction of ships.Conjunto excultorico Letras de Ponce. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011. Each letter measures 20 feet high by 18 feet wide by 12 feet deep.Conjunto excultorico Letras de Ponce. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011. Together they span an area of half a kilometer. The breadth of the letters is intended to symbolize the extension of the city of Ponce, "heightening Ponce's urban identity and raising it to its territorial extension."Las Letras de Ponce: Símbolo del orgullo ponceño…¡al estilo Hollywood! Rachell E. López Ortiz. KoolTour Activa Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011. The letters cost US$430,000.Ponce Ciudad Senorial: Atracciones Turisticas. Government of the Autonoumous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011. Its design, manufacture and suiting all were done in Puerto Rico.Ponce: Letras de Ponce. F. Suarez. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Page 15. Retrieved 6 November 2011.

Carlos A. Rivera Villafañe Carlos A. Rivera Villafañe was born in Ponce in 1966. He graduated from the Escuela de Artes Graficas de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico with a bachelor's degree in 1989. In addition to the Letras de Ponce, Rivera Villafañe has works in San Juan, Madrid, Lima, Havana, Cuenca, Slovenia, Yugoslavia, New York City, and Miami.Las Letras de Ponce: Símbolo del orgullo ponceño…¡al estilo Hollywood! Rachell E. López Ortiz. KoolTour Activa Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.The Ponce Letters Monument. Travel Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.

Maintenance The monument is regularly maintained with fresh paint as recommended by its designer.Pintan las letras de Ponce y Mayita dice que se quedan donde están. Primera Hora. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2011. They require special care as well as a special paint. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011. They are painted in black and red, the traditional colors of the city of Ponce.Critican vandalismo en letras de Ponce. Primera Hora. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011. The monument is also painted after acts of vandalism, including graffiti.

Location The monument is located on smooth, flat terrain, and each letter is surrounded by flowers. Its site is just outside the northeastern edge of the urban area of Ponce, on PR-52, the main road into Ponce from San Juan. While the monument is visible as motorists approach the city on the highway, it has been noted that motorists are not able to stop to admire it, as they risk being fined.The Ponce Letters Monument. Travel Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.

The monument's unique location made it an ideal site to hold a protest. In October 2009, a group of some 20 Government of Puerto Rico public employees used the site to launch a protest against their recent layoff.Toman letras de Ponce. Noticias Online. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2011.

Alterations and vandalism It is illegal to make unauthorized physical alterations to the sign. The letters have been vandalised a few times. In November 2011, the letter "O" was vandalised with graffiti. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.

Controversy Due to its location at the center and both sides of a major expressway, it is one of Puerto Rico's most controversial works of public art.The Ponce Letters Monument. Travel Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011. In April 2009, the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) was fined almost US$80 million for placing the letters there.Demanda por las letras de Ponce: El Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas confirmó que ha sido multado por casi $80 millones. Ariel Rivera Vázquez. WAPA-TV. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 26 April 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2011. Subsequently, a bill was introduced into the Legislature of Puerto Rico to eliminate public art from Puerto Rico roads. The basis was that, allegedly, they were in violation of the Federal Highway Administration regulations.Pintan las letras de Ponce y Mayita dice que se quedan donde están. Primera Hora. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2011. In February 2010, it was agreed that the letters would stay where they were. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.

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External links

Photos of the Ponce letters: Photos of Ponce letters at Panoramio Photos of Ponce letters at Flick