I have found older paper pictures that should be in my blog even if quality is not as good, This is a work of love and nostalgia of times and places that will never be back from a beautiful city of Havana, now mostly in ruins, This is my native capital City, the city where I spent a great part of my very early life until 10 years old, Luckily was able to visit it in 1984, 1998, and 2012 , This is Havana or La Habana or the full name San Cristobal de La Habana, the capital of the Republic of Cuba. This is my Habana and would like to share these new old pictures with the world; do see my other posts on it, Therefore, here is my take on the historical castles of Havana, part II !! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro is located at the entrance of the Bay of Havana, next to the fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña, the Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro or castle of the three kings of the morro, was one of the strategic points of the defense of the city during the Spanish occupation. The construction of the castle took place between the years 1589 and 1630, at the same time as the Castillo San Salvador de la Punta, an impregnable fortress up to 1762, when the English troops after a siege of about two months, managed to get the castle of the Three Wise Kings of the Morro and therefore the city. An irregular polygon that is formed by huge walls of 3 meters of height surrounded by a deep moat. The most emblematic point of the castle is the lighthouse of the Morro, it has illuminated the entrance of the boats to the bay from 1844. With a height of 30 meters, it is the ideal place to enjoy with the panoramic view of the Malecon of Havana, especially at dusk. Nowadays, it is part of the Morro-Cabaña military historical Park, along with the nearby fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña, and inside it is the Maritime Museum. In turn, two restaurants, the 12 Apostoles or apostles and the Divina Pastora or divine shepherd and a bar are housed in the old batteries with extraordinary panoramas of the Havana coast.
The Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña was done after the British took Havana in 1762, besieging the castle of Morro from the hill where today stands the Fortress San Carlos de La Cabaña, the Spaniards realized that they needed to build a new fort that complemented the defenses of the city . When they recovered the villa in 1763,(treaty of Paris), the construction of the fortress began. It was the most expensive building that financed Spain outside the peninsula, being also today the largest fortress in all of America. With the triumph of the Cuban revolution in 1959, Che Guevara installed his command center in San Carlos de la Cabaña. At this time numerous deaths by firing squads were also carried out. Today the San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress functions as a historic park, along with the nearby Morro Castle. Also inside is the museum of fortifications and Weapons as well as restaurants and shops. But the most famous attraction is the cannon at 9pm or 21h, recreated by military dressed in 18C uniforms. It is reminiscent of the time when Havana was surrounded by ramparts, whose gates were closed every day at 21h. Currently, with its 700 meters from extreme to extreme and its 19 ha, it is the largest fortress in all of the Americas.
The Castillo de la Real Fuerza is located next to the Plaza de Armas, in the heart of Old Havana, the castle of the Royal Forces was part of the defensive ensemble that the city had during the colonial era, next to the San Salvador de la Punta Castle and the Morro-Cabaña military historical Park. The Royal Force Castle was the first to be built in Havana, in fact it is considered the oldest stone fortress in America. The works began in 1558 and were terminated in 1577, although it soon lost its defensive function due to its remoteness from the bay. In 1588 became the residence of the Governor of Havana,The castle has housed the national archives since 1899 and the National Library from 1938 to 1957. After the Cuban revolution, it welcomed the Commission of Monuments and the Preservation of Heritage, then briefly the Museum of the Revolution, now installed in the ex-Presidential palace. It then hosted a museum of contemporary art, until 1990, then a ceramic museum until 2007.Today the castle of the Royal Force houses the Museo de la Navegacion, or Maritime museum some says the best in Cuba, In the museum, various objects related to the life and functions of the castle dating from the 16C to the 18C are also exposed. and is surrounded by an impressive moat. The most striking element of the ensemble is the tower that houses the Giraldilla, it was added in 1634. It is a woman-shaped vane that is one of the symbols of the city, besides being the oldest cast bronze sculpture in Cuba. The weather vane that can be seen today on the Torre de la Espera or tower of waiting is a copy, the original is kept in the museum of the city. The name was due to the legend that says that Dona Inés de Bobadilla, wife of the Spanish conqueror Hernando de Soto, who remained as governor of Cuba while her husband tried to conquer the Florida, climbed every day to the tower to wait the arrival of her husband’s galleon, who never returned, since he died in the attempt of that conquest.
Located at the entrance of Havana Bay, Castillo San Salvador de la Punta or St Saviour of the point castle formed along with the castle of the three Kings del Morro, the main line of defense of the city during the Spanish occupation. The construction works began in the year 1590, parallel to the works in the nearby Castillo del Morro. Because of this proximity, since 1630 when the cannon of 9pm (21h) was sounded and the doors of the wall were closed, a heavy copper chain was stretched between the two forts to leave the access to the bay closed. In 1997 a deep renovation was carried out to install in this historic building the
Castle Museum. At the moment you can see in the Castillo de la Punta a hall that tells the history of the fortress, as well as an exhibition of ships built on the island and a treasure room with objects that have been found in the marine depths.
The Castle of Atarés, military fortress that integrates the defensive system of Havana built by the Spaniards to protect the city in the 18C. The Castillo de Santo Domingo de Atarés, began construction in 1763, together with that of the fortress of the Cabañas, due to the need to complete the defense of the villa in its vulnerable points. The Castillo de Santo Domingo de Atarés was the first of these new military buildings to be completed, specifically in 1767. On the Loma de Soto site from where the bay is partially dominated, an irregular hexagon without bastions, crowned in its vertices by the same hexagonal openings, which corresponds to the forms used for these elements during the 18C. The castle has a large vaulted bomb-proof barracks in its enclosure for all the garrison that can contain cistern, warehouses and all the offices necessary for its defense. It was fitted with 26 cannons and its garrison had about 90 men. The castle was named in honor of Count Ricla, whose father was the Earl of Atarés. In addition, in complements this fortress has a covered road filling and a small central square, surrounded by constructions for lodging, warehouses and other services, in whose roofs were conditioned platforms to establish the artillery, as well as a perimeter trench.
The Castle of the Prince or Castillo del Príncipe (no pic) is a military fort located in the Loma de Aróstegui of Havana. The fort was built during the surge of military construction in Cuba, after the end of the capture of Havana by the British that lasted almost a year, when the Spanish government realized that the city was unprotected and transformed the Key of the New World in the most fortified city in the Americas. The castle is named after Charles of Bourbon, Prince of Asturias, son and future successor of King Charles III of Spain. Construction began in 1767, not being completely finished until after 1779, The fortification resembles an irregular pentagon with two bastions, two semi-bastions and a rediente. It has large pits, mine galleries, warehouses, offices, a well and accommodation for a garrison of about 900 men. Its artillery was equipped with 60 pieces of various calibers. The heavy iron and bronze gate that closed the intramural passage in El Templete was moved to this castle. The Castillo del Príncipe, which since 1926 was used as a Prison, (and many firing squads under the Cuban revolution) was officially deactivated on June 28, 1974 In the Castillo del Príncipe in 1888, the Cuban Grand Master and World Chess Champion José Raúl Capablanca was born, the son of a Spanish army officer who lived in the Castillo del Príncipe. Still today is not open to the public.
There you go folks, another dandy of my old Havana, memories forever, even if today they are becoming blurred and far away in my mind. Havana still an attracting place even if the crowds are different and the conditions worse; life goes on in this sad forgotten island of Cuba under a long dictatorship . Again, hope you enjoy the post on the historical castles of Havana !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 