La Rogativa
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These statues are meant to honor the legend of San Juan, which goes as far back as April 30, 1797 and tells of time when a miracle occurred saving San Juan from a certain attack. Lindsay Daen who was born in Dunedin in New Zealand in 1923 sculptured these four bronze statues that overlook the old city's walls in 1971 to commemorate San Juan's 450th year anniversary. The legend starts off with the British wanting to attack the city of San Juan. The British fleet was anchored in the San Juan Bay just outside the city walls in an attempt to starve the native people of provisions. They knew that by blocking the entrance into the bay needed supplies would not be able to come in and this would cause havoc amongst the local people. At that point the governor of the city was at a loss as to what to do and so ordered a "rogativa" or religious procession to try and get the saints to assist them. They locals knew that the Spanish reinforcements inland might take ages to come and that there would be an invasion of the city if something was not done. So the bishop and his congregation took it upon themselves to march through the city in an attempt to get the saints to help them. While they marched through the city they sang hymns and carried torches in their attempt to invoke help against the potential attack. This procession of unarmed men and women was more effective then they had ever hoped it would be. On seeing the torches of the procession the British fleet came under the impression that the reinforcements had unexpectedly arrived early. The march scared off the potential invaders who left immediately abandoning their siege.