ARIGUANABO
Under the editorial impression ‘’Unicorn’’, in 2013, a simple book entitled ‘’Legends of Ariguanabo’’ saw the light. As a result of the investigative work by Carlos Eduardo Hernandez Fuentes and Maria Antonia Rodriguez Padron, the text allows us to know past pages, eternalized by oral tradition from one generation to another. Today we will approach to one of those legends.
They say that in the 18th century, on the banks of Ariguanabo River huts abounded. A man named Antonio Abad lived in one of those rustic houses. He apparently gave this name to the place. It is also said that many of the founding families of the town, coming from Spanish cities dedicated to the worship of San Antonio Abad, decided to adopt the patronymic. The most legendary of all the legends of the Village is the one that tells about a man who worked at the habaneros shipyards and was saved by this Saint. When the woodcutter went under the river he managed to hold on strongly a floating log and got to a safe place. So miraculously he saved his life, but ... What a surprise!, suddenly, he noticed that a rough wooden image of San Antonio Abad was his salvation.
Are versions on the origin of the town’s name true?. The town founded by the ‘’Real Cédula’’ on September 22th, 1794, took the place name of San Antonio Abad. Over time the Village became a town and later a city, so the original name was left behind and it was called San Antonio de los Baños. However, the appellation ‘’ariguanabense’’, continued distinguishing those born in the region and identifying them forever worldwide.
