El Castillo de la Real Fuerza: a fortress in Havana full of history.

This article is part of a series of write ups devoted to guide you through all the Museums, fortresses, historic places, restaurants, hotels, cabarets and night clubs that you can visit while on your holidays in Cuba. Today’s article is dedicated to the oldest fortress in Havana.

“El Castillo de la Real Fuerza” was declared humankind heritage by UNESCO together with other greatest buildings, exponents of architecture back in that time, such as the fortification system of the city and the old part of Havana.

El Castillo de la Real Fuerza of Havana is the most antique fortress in Cuba. It was built on December 1st 1558; the construction works were guided by the ingeneur Bartolome Sanchez and some time after by Francisco Coloma. The fortress was built in an area that would become the center of the early village. In front of the fortress was the square which is known as “Plaza de Armas” or Arms Square and in the surroundings were constructed some residences that belonged to important neighbours of the village.

The ground plan of the castle has a square form divided into nine equal parts. There is a moat delimited by the surrounding wall. In the tower of the fortress a weather vane was placed. Its name is La Giraldilla. Jeronimo Martin Pinzon sculpted it and it constitutes the most antique bronze- cast statue known in Cuba and it became a symbol of Havana city.

La Giraldilla has an extraordinary love history. It was said that the Youth Source was located in the Florida territories and the Native Americans knew the exact location of it. So, the governor of the island in the 1670 left the island and his wife was left behind. Since the day his husband left, she decided to wait for him and placed herself as a lookout. From sunrise to sunset, she would be there, in the tower, searching the horizon. His husband died in Florida some time after, but she kept there in the tower as a proof of love.

Although this fortress was built to protect the village from pirates and corsairs attacks, the main problem was its location. The fortress was situated too inside of the entrance channel of Havana Bay and thus it did not fulfil the main objective it was built for. However, in 1762, the fortress held out against the English ship artillery and it was used as an operation center to defend the village.

The fortress was not only used as a residence for Generals and Governors of the island but for storing gold, silver and other valuable goods which would be sent to Spain. After the Revolution Triumph in 1959, in the second floor of the castle the National Commission of Monuments was held and then the National Center of Restoration, Restoration and Museology whereas the first floor had and still holds the Arms Museum.

Nowadays, El Castillo de la Real Fuerza has received multiple transitory expositions of contemporary Cuban art. This is a space for young artists to expose their art and every month anew exhibition is held for that purpose. All this is part of a new project of the museum which was inaugurated in 1990, and today this museum is defined as a center for the contemporary artistic pottery.

While staying in Havana, a visit to this fortress is a most. It has an excellent look out point from which you can enjoy the whole view of the channel entrance to Hanana’s most famous harbour. It also houses a magnetic cigar shop for those who love the flavours a good Habanos.

In your walking around Old Havana during your holidays in Cuba you are obliged to come to the castle. This is a new experience that you deserve. If you are interested in knowing more about Havana’s most interesting places to visit please do not hesitate to get in touch. We will love to share our experiences and knowledge with you and to make your visit to Cuba an unforgettable experience.

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