Jump to content

La Fortaleza

Coordinates:18°27′51″N66°7′9″W/ 18.46417°N 66.11917°W/18.46417; -66.11917
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the album by Francisca Valenzuela, seeLa Fortaleza (album).For the 2020 film, seeLa Fortaleza (film).For the Club Atlético Lanús stadium, seeEstadio Ciudad de Lanús – Néstor Díaz Pérez.
La Fortaleza
Palacio de Santa Catalina
From top, left to right:Close-up front view ofLa Fortaleza;wide front view of the palace; view ofCalle de la Fortaleza (Fortaleza Street)leading to the palace; close-up back views of the palace within theWalls of Old San Juanand abovePaseo de la PrincesafromSan Juan Bay;and wide aerial, back view of the palace in the historic district ofOld San Juan
Map
Interactive
General information
TypeMedieval fortification,Castle,Palace,Mansion
Architectural styleFortification,Spanish Renaissance,Neoclassical
LocationOld San Juan,San Juan, Puerto Rico
Address63 Calle Fortaleza, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
Coordinates18°27′51″N66°7′9″W/ 18.46417°N 66.11917°W/18.46417; -66.11917
Construction started1533
Completed1540
Known forBattle of San Juan (1595)Battle of San Juan (1598)Battle of San Juan (1625)Battle of San Juan (1797)Bombardment of San Juan (1898)
Website
www.fortaleza.pr.gov
TypeCultural
Criteriavi
Designated1983(7thsession)
Part ofLa Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico
Reference no.266
RegionThe Americas
Official nameLa Fortaleza
DesignatedOctober 9, 1960[1]
Reference no.66000951
Official nameLa Fortaleza
DesignatedOctober 15, 1966[2]

La Fortaleza(English:The Fortress), also known asPalacio de Santa Catalina[3](Saint Catherine's Palace),has been theofficial residenceof thegovernor of Puerto Ricosince the16th century,making it the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in theNew World.Built between 1533 and 1540 by orders ofCharles I of Spain,the structure was the firstfortificationconstructed by theSpanishonSan Juan Isletto defendSan Juan Bay,the harbor ofOld San Juan.La fortaleza,alongsideEl Morro,San Cristóbal,El Cañuelo,and other forts part of theWalls of Old San Juan,protectedstrategically and militarilyimportantPuerto Rico,orLa Llave de las Indias (The Key to theIndies),[4]from invasion by competingworld powersand harassment byprivateersandpiratesduring theAge of Sail.[5]It was designated aWorld Heritage SitebyUNESCOin 1983 as part ofLa Fortaleza andSan Juan National Historic Site.

Calle de la Fortaleza (Fortaleza Street)leading to the palace, often seen with a canopy of some sort, including one made of multicolored umbrellas, and another made in the shape of theMonoestrellada (Monostarred)flag of Puerto Rico

The structure

[edit]
La Fortalezafrom theBay of San Juanas recorded in the 1671 edition ofJohn Ogilby'sAmerica,one of the most influential works of the 17th Century

La Fortalezawas the first defensive fortification built in the historic city of Old San Juan, originally known asCiudad de Puerto Rico (rich port city),and the first of a series of military structures built to protect the city, which included theCastillo San Felipe del Morroand theFort San Cristóbal.The construction was authorized byCharles V, Holy Roman Emperoras a defense against attacks fromIsland Caribsand the European powers of the time.

Initially, the structure consisted of four walls enclosing an interiorpatiowith a circular tower known as theHomage Tower.From the top of the tower, following military tradition, the governor would take fidelity oaths at critical moments to the King and Queen of Spain. Later, a second tower named theAustral Towerwas constructed.

During the 1640 reconstruction, a chapel named afterSanta Catalina Alejandríaoriginally standing outside the fortification’s walls was integrated into the structure's walls, resulting in the alternate name ofPalacio de Santa Catalina (Saint Catherine's Palace).

The complex currently consists of a few attached buildings with formal living quarters on the second floor and private quarters on the third. It overlooks the high city walls that front thebay,and within the north perimeter of the house are sheltered gardens and a swimming pool.

History

[edit]
La Fortalezain 1899

Starting in 1529,Governor La Gamapetitioned the emperor on the need to build defensive fortifications "because the island's defenseless condition caused the people to emigrate." Construction started in 1533, using stone, and concluded by 1540. Yet the fort had no guns, andGonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdéscommented, "if it had been constructed by blind men could not have been located in a worse location." Yet the structure has served as the governor's residence since 1544.[6][7]

Since the 16th century,La Fortalezahas acted as the residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico, making it the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas.[8]The mansion was remodeled in 1846 by the Spanish authorities to adapt its military origin to its new purely administrative function.

La Fortalezahas been captured three times by foreign powers:

  • 1598,George Clifford,Earl of Cumberland,attacked San Juan.
  • In 1625, GeneralBoudewijn Hendricksz(Balduino Enrico) of the Netherlands invaded the city and established himself atLa Fortaleza.During the Dutch retreat, the fortress and the city were set ablaze.
  • 1898, the U.S. Navy invaded and occupied Puerto Rico, establishing a provisional government.

In 1834, ColonelGeorge Dawson Flinterdescribed the fortress of Santa Catalina as having a chapel, stables, cistern, and an east wing with spacious apartments.[9]

According to tradition, in 1898, just before the United StatesinvadedPuerto Rico during theSpanish–American War,the last Spanish governor of the island,Ricardo De Ortega,struck alongcase clockinLa Fortalezawith his sword, stopping the clock and marking the time at which Spain lost control over Puerto Rico.

La Fortalezaon a U.S. stamp in 1937

On October 30, 1950, there was an attempt by a few nationalists to enterLa Fortalezain what is known as theSan Juan Nationalist revolt,intending to attack then-governorLuis Muñoz Marín.The 5-minute shootout resulted in four Nationalists dead: Domingo Hiraldo Resto, Carlos Hiraldo Resto, Manuel Torres Medina, and Raímundo Díaz Pacheco. Three of the guards of the building, among them Lorenzo Ramos, were seriously injured.

On October 9, 1960,La Fortalezawas designated a United StatesNational Historic Landmark.[1][10]Teodoro Vidal,a cultural affairs official underLuis Muñoz Marín,organized renovation work on the building around this time.[11]

In 1983,La Fortaleza,along with theSan Juan National Historic Site,was declared aWorld Heritage SitebyUNESCO.[12]

Trivia

[edit]
La Fortalezahas two defensive towers, part of its originalcastlestructure

La Fortalezahas two towers: the Astral Tower and the Homenaje Tower (Homage Tower), which show that it was originally a military structure.

TheHomage Towerhouses theSanta Catalina Chapel,where a colorful mosaic of 95,000 pieces in honor of the Holy Trinity stands out.

In 1956, when an area covered with a panel was unsealed, what could be the old kitchen of La Fortalezawas discovered in theAustral Tower.

The paintings exhibited atLa Fortalezaare on loan from theInstitute of Puerto Rican Historical Cultureand are changed according to the taste of the ruler of the day.

Originally,La Fortalezawas painted salmon red, the characteristic color of the island's military installations of the time of Spanish colony. Its wooden doors were green and its columns were painted white with gold details.

U.S. PresidentBarack ObamatoursLa Fortalezain 2011

U.S. Presidents who have visitedLa Fortaleza,includeHerbert Hooverin 1931,Harry S. Trumanin 1948,John F. Kennedyin 1961,Barack Obamain 2011, andBill Clintonin 2013.

La Fortalezahas had 156 governors: 124 under the Spanish regime, 19 under the U.S. regime and 13 Puerto Ricans, 11 elected, one appointed by the President of the United StatesJesús T. Piñeroand one sworn in by the Constitution of Puerto RicoWanda Vázquez Garced.

Three flags fly overLa Fortaleza:the Puerto Rican flag, the American flag, and the Governor's white flag. When the white flag is not raised, it is because the governor is outside theSanta Catalina Palace.

TheHundido Gardenwas named Doña Inés Garden in honor of DoñaInés Mendoza,wife of former governorLuis Muñoz Marín,because that was her favorite spot atLa Fortaleza,where she lived for 16 years.

In literature

[edit]

In 2011, Puerto Rican authorGiannina Braschiwrote the dramatic novelUnited States of Banana,featuring climactic scenes of revolution at La Fortaleza.

[edit]
  • La Fortaleza on July 4, 1899
    La Fortalezaon July 4, 1899
  • Back view of La Fortaleza
    Back viewof La Fortaleza
  • Gardens at La Fortaleza
    Gardens atLa Fortaleza
  • Front view of La Fortaleza
    Front view ofLa Fortaleza
  • Aerial back view of La Fortaleza
    Aerial back view ofLa Fortaleza
  • Reception of the U.S. President Herbert Hoover to La Fortaleza in 1931
    Reception of the U.S. PresidentHerbert HoovertoLa Fortalezain 1931
  • Original "Throne Room", currently Governor's Office, La Fortaleza in 1933. Photo by Jack E. Boucher. Historic American Buildings Survey.
    Original "Throne Room", currently Governor's Office, La Fortalezain 1933. Photo by Jack E. Boucher.Historic American Buildings Survey.
  • La Fortaleza in 1933. Photo by Jack E. Boucher. Historic American Buildings Survey.
    La Fortalezain 1933. Photo by Jack E. Boucher.Historic American Buildings Survey.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ab"La Fortaleza".National Historic Landmark summary listing.National Park Service. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-08-09.Retrieved2007-06-28.
  2. ^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.April 15, 2008.
  3. ^Rivero Méndez, Ángel (2 September 2019)."Crónica de la guerra hispano-americana en Puerto Rico".Wikisource(in Spanish). p. 23.Retrieved2 September2019.
  4. ^"Justificación para una historia militar de Puerto Rico"(PDF).Academia Puertorriqueña de la Historia(in Spanish). April 4, 2023. pp. 250–51.RetrievedJanuary 19,2024.
  5. ^"LA FORTALEZA, OFICINA DEL GOBERNADOR".fortaleza.pr.gov(in Spanish).Retrieved25 January2024.
  6. ^Van Middeldyk, R.A. (1903). Brumbaugh, Martin (ed.).The History of Puerto Rico: From the Spanish Discovery to the American Occupation.D. Appleton and Company. pp.109-110.Retrieved6 March2019.
  7. ^The Forts of Old San Juan.Washington, D.C.: Division of Publications, National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior. 2018. pp. 24–27.ISBN9780912627625.
  8. ^"Collections".National Museum of American History.Retrieved13 April2018.
  9. ^Flinter, George Dawson (23 October 2016)."An Account of the Present State of the Island of Puerto Rico".Internet Archive.Retrieved5 May2020.
  10. ^McKithan, Cecil N. (August 1981)."National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: La Fortaleza".National Park Service.andAccompanying photos and diagrams, undated
  11. ^"Teodoro Vidal Santoni (1923-2016): la trayectoria de un coleccionista".88 Grados.
  12. ^"WH Committee: Report of 7th Session, Florence 1983".whc.unesco.org.Retrieved13 April2018.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toLa Fortaleza.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=La_Fortaleza&oldid=1226740625"