Castillo San Cristóbal (Saint Christopher Castle in English) is a fortress in the historic district of Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico, known as the largest fortification built by the
Spanish in the New World. Dating back to defense expansions following attacks by the
English in 1598 and the
Dutch in 1625, it was first built in 1634 as the Garita del Diablo ("devil’s sentry box") and an artillery platform. Over the next 150 years, especially in the reign of King Charles III of
Spain, it continued to be developed into a bastion fort to reach its largest size in 1790. Rising 150 feet from the Atlantic shoreline, the three-level edifice stands on a hill at the northern coastline of San Juan Islet, guarding the land entry to Old San Juan. San Cristóbal, alongside
El Morro, La Fortaleza, and the
Walls of Old San Juan, protected strategically and militarily important Puerto Rico, or La Llave de las Indias (The Key to the Indies), from invasion by competing world powers during the Age of Sail. It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.
Castillo San Cristóbal is a part of San Juan National Historic Site, which was created by federal decree in 1949. The creation of the National Parks Service unit established the historic site and noted the need for protecting the fortifications as monuments as well as preserving their historical and architectural value. The fortification system was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960, and was further listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Information from:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_San_Crist%C3%B3bal_(San_Juan)
San Juan is the capital and largest city of Puerto Rico. Today the city surrounds Bahía de San Juan (San Juan Bay) and extends far into the interior of the Island of Puerto Rico, but historically was situated primarily on the fortified islet of San Juan. Located in the eastern Greater Antilles on the Atlantic Ocean, San Juan is one of the largest and most economically important cities in the Caribbean region. The historic city is the oldest European-established community in the United States, founded by Spanish colonists in 1521. It is home to roughly 340,000 residents and some of the foremost institutions of the island commonwealth.
