Isabela barrio-pueblo
Isabela barrio-pueblo is a barrio and the administrative center of Isabela, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 7,826.
As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called pueblo which contains a central plaza, the municipal buildings, and a Catholic church. Fiestas patronales are held in the central plaza every year.
The central plaza and its church
The central plaza, or square, is a place for official and unofficial recreational events and a place where people can gather and socialize from dusk to dawn. The Laws of the Indies, Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for "the parties", and that the square should be proportionally large enough for the number of neighbors. These Spanish regulations also stated that the streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements: sun and rain.Located in Isabela barrio-pueblo is the Manuel Corchado y Juarb recreational plaza. Located across from the downtown central plaza is the Parroquia San Antonio de Padua. The church was built between 1819 and 1824. It sustained damage during the 1918 San Fermín earthquake. The current church, which is made of reinforced concrete, was completed in 1924; and the last time it was renovated was in 1998.