Not too bad — for 446 years old

Last night, Historic City News reporters were on hand as St. Augustine’s Royal Family, Young King Carlos portrayed by Timothy Colee; standing in for James Louis Solana III, Queen Marianna portrayed by Suzanne Hazen and Princess Margarita Maria portrayed by Jaime Blevins, participated in the ceremonial cutting of the community birthday cake.

Although the actual date of the founding of the City of St. Augustine is not until next week, City officials chose last night to celebrate — as it coordinated with the final performance of this year’s Concerts in the Plaza. Representing the City was Mayor Joe Boles, presiding, and City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline.

St. Augustine’s Royal Family, three heritage natives, are selected each year from among St. Augustine’s oldest families to represent the Spanish Royal Family in 1672 — the year the Castillo de San Marcos was commissioned. Colee actually served in that role in 2009.

After the ceremony, hundreds of pieces of cake were served and enjoyed along with the music of the “Old City Farmers”. The concert was the last Thursday night concert in the summer long series, but the closing performance is on Labor Day, September 5, with an afternoon program from 1:00pm-5:00pm produced by the St. Augustine Jazz Society.

“Concerts in the Plaza” is made possible through funding from the City of St. Augustine and the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. They plan to return for the 22nd season on Memorial Day, May 28, 2012.

It was on September 8, 1565 that Don Pedro Menendez de Avilés, along with 600 voyagers, stepped ashore here with the mission to stake a permanent claim on behalf of Spain. In honor of the saint whose feast fell on the day he first sighted land, August 28, Menéndez named the colonial settlement St. Augustine.

The landing site is known to be along the waterfront at what is today the Mission Nombre de Dios and the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.

The historical re-enactment of the landing of Menéndez will be held on Saturday, September 10 starting at 10:00am at the Mission Nombre de Dios (27 Ocean Ave.).

As it was on the first founding day in 1565, the landing is just the start of a morning filled with colorful pageantry and tradition.

The reenactment is produced with great historical accuracy by La Compañía de Santiago (The Company of St. James), a member unit of Florida Living History, Inc. This is truly as close as one can get to experience the sights and sounds of the day the city was founded.

Immediately following the landing, as was the case in 1565, Mass will be celebrated at an outdoor altar on the site. This year the Mass will be celebrated by Father Terrance Morgan.

Following Mass, Dr. Michael Gannon, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Florida and Knight Commander of Spain’s Order of Isabella the Catholic, will offer a lecture on the founding of the city entitled The Altar was older than the Hearth. The lecture is funded by a grant from the Florida Humanities Council through the National Endowment for the Humanities. The lecture will be in the Prince of Peace Church located on the grounds of the Mission Nombre de Dios.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News contributed photograph by Vanessa Baker