The first Roman Catholic church in San Juan was built in 1521. After being destroyed by a hurricane, it was replaced by this Neoclassical structure in 1540. It was called Cathedral of San Juan Bautista after the name of the settlement at that time. Now it is formally called the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist. It is the oldest cathedral in the United States. This impressive dome crowns the nave constructed of elegant white marble.
