Castillo de San Marcos
1 S Castillo Dr, St. Augustine, FL 32084
March 31, 2022
The Castillo de San Marcos today stands as a monument of the Spanish colony in 1565. Constructed by the Spanish settlement the fort was used for protection against pirate raids, Native American tribes, and neighboring imperial powers. The Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest surviving masonry fortress in the United States.
Exterior:
The Castillo de San Marcos was built into a stone star-shaped fort after nine wooden forts were burned down. Although St. Augustine was founded in 1565 it took another hundred years until the stone Castillo de San Marcos was built. The star-shaped design originated in Italy in the 15th century which was where diamond or angle-shaped formations were added to fort walls.
The Castillo de San Marcos Fort is protected by multiple cannons on an off ground. While some cannons are basic others are known to be decorated with a Spanish coat of arms. Today, all the bronze guns are seen covered in green patina.
Image in Conversation:
Boston, Massachusetts
The present, Fort Independence of Massachusetts was built between 1834 and 1851. It is the oldest fortified military site in British North America. Like the Castillo de San Marcos, Fort independence was destroyed and rebuilt. The fort dates back to the 1630s but after reconstruction, it was built to be a pentagonal shape.
Image in Conversation:
Loarre, Huesca, Spain
The Castle of Loarre was built in the late 11th century in the frontier of Christian and Muslim land on the orders of King Sancho Ramirez I of Aragon. It's considered to be the most important Roman fortress in Spain. The castle is surrounded by semicircular towers and a small town.
Literature Passage
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Glacier
Craig Santos Perez
"O vulnerable humans, why do you engineer sea walls?"
When reading Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Glacier by Santos Perez, these were some of the words that stuck with me the most. In this line, Craig Perez is asking humanity why sea walls are built since the reason waves are rising is because of climate change. In the fort and the poem, walls are used to provide humans with security.
Creative Component:
This is a drawing of the lion in the Spanish flag to highlight the Spanish history of the Castillo de San Marcos.
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