|
The San Pedro de la Roca Castle is a
fortress situated 10 km from Santiago de Cuba.
Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca History
This 17th-century fortress, situated
on a rocky promontory at the coast of Santiago city, is the best-preserved monument of
Spanish-American military architecture.
Giovan Battista Antonelli, a member
of a Milanese family of military engineers, designed it in 1637, inspired by Italian and
Renaissance design principles.
It was primarily established to guard
against commercial and political rivals in the Caribbean region, European colonies, and raiding
pirates. It features a strong defensive series of forts, barricades, citadels, armories, and
batteries.
Due to sporadic construction work,
completion of the citadel took nearly 42 years. Despite many overseas attacks and natural
disasters like earthquakes, this massive historical complex of fortifications still
stands.
The castle went through a massive
restoration project in the 1960’s. Today it is one of the best preserved castles in the
America’s, as well as the best example of a renaissance fortress. Since 1997, it is a World
UNESCO heritage site too.
Visitor Information
Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca
(also known as El Morro) houses an interesting Museum of the Pirates, a museum that details the
pirate attacks that Santiago went through over the course of history.
The castle can be visited daily
between 8:00 AM and 19:00 PM. Entrance fee for an adult is $4, children under the age of 12
enter for free. For a camera a $1 fee is charged and a $5 fee is charged for using a
camcoder.
San Pedro de la Roca Map&Location
Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca (El
Morro) is located in
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Get help with directions using the map provided
bellow:
View Larger Map
|
