CASTILLO SAN FELIPE DEL MORRO

The fort San Felipe del Morro, also called El Castillo (castle), is the most famous building in San Juan. It is even the symbol of the town. Its construction began in 1539. The Spaniards wanted to protect the emerging trade in the city's port. The fort was built in the purest military tradition of the time. The same type of structure can be found in Cuba, Santo Domingo and Acapulco in Mexico. Approximately 50 years after the laying of the foundation stone, it is still a small fort with an area 10% of its current size. It helped repel the English assaults of 1595 and 1598, as well as the Dutch offensives of 1625. Over time, El Morro continued to grow. Today, the fort is built on 6 levels, the last one reaching 45 m above sea level. The castle is also known for its numerous watchtowers, small observation towers that allow the enemy to be seen. The last battle it witnessed was during the war between Spain and the United States in 1898. El Morro then changed ownership to the US Army. In 1915, Lieutenant Teofilo Marxuach ordered to open fire on theOdenwald, a German ship that had entered the bay and was supplying the various submarines in the area. This firing is considered by historians as the first American offensive of the First World War. El Morro is a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1983.