findings on them. In 1852, the Spanish-appointed governor of Puerto Rico, Fernando de Norzagaray, pardoned Tapia and returned to Puerto Rico, establishing his residence in the city of Ponce on the southern coast of the island. He was a member of the Progressive Action Political Party. Among his cultural positions was his membership in the Puerto Rican Intellectual Protective Society. He was also the director of the Youth Museum in Ponce and the founder and first president of the Ateneo Puertorriqueño. He moved from Ponce to San Juan around 1874, after founding, in Ponce, Puerto Rico's first Gabinete de Lectura in 1870. The Gabinete de Lectura was the precursor of the Ponce Municipal Library. Death Alejandro Tapia y Rivera died in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 19, 1882, while giving a conference at the Ateneo Puertorriqueño. Written works El heliotropo (1848) The Palm of the Chief (1852) Guarionex (libretto, premiered in 1854) José Campeche: biography by Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (1854) Roberto D'Evreux (1856) Bernardo de Palyssy o El heroísmo del trabajo (1857) La antigua sirena (1862) La cuarterona (1867) Camoens (Alejandro Tapia y Rivera) (1868) Póstumo el transmigrado (1872) Vasco Núñez de Balboa: biography by Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (1872) Ramón Power: biography by Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (1873) La leyenda de los veinte años (1874) La Sataniada (1874) Roberto Cofresí (1876) Misceláneas de Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (1880) Póstumo el envirginado (1882) Mis memorias por Alejandro Tapia y Rivera Awards Among Tapia's many awards and honours were: The Medal of the Royal Knight (Medalla de la Orden del Caballero Real) and The Royal and Distinguished Order of Carlos III from Spain. Posthumous honors His memory has been honoured in Puerto Rico. There are schools and avenues named after Tapia. The Teatro Tapia in Old San Juan, the Island's premier dramatic stage, is also named after him. In July 2008, Roberto Ramos Perea, general director of the Archivo Nacional de Teatro y Cine del Ateneo Puertorriqueño, an archive dedicated to conserve documents and memorabilia from the theatre industry in Puerto Rico, announced that a documentary covering Tapia y Rivera's life is planned. The filmation is part of a series of events honoring his life, titled Jornadas en Honor y Memoria de Alejandro Tapia y Rivera. See also List of Puerto Rican writers List of Puerto Ricans Puerto Rican literature Notes References External links El Nuevo