Castillo De San Marcos National Park Service National Monument U.S
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Castillo de San Marcos National Park Service National Monument U.S. Department of the Interior Castillo de San Marcos Florida San Agustin Bastion San Carlos Bastion San Pedro Bastion Plaza de Armas Hours of Operation The park is open every day except Dec. 25 from San Pablo 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The main parking lot closes Use this exploded birds- museums highlighting various chapters of Bastion at 5:30 p.m. eye view to help you the fort’s long history. A good place to find your way as you start is the corner rooms next to the well. For a Safe Visit ex plore over 300 years Rest rooms are located under the arched Although the Castillo is over 300 years old, most of Florida history. The stairway leading to the gundeck. After you of the damage to it has resulted not from past layout that Spanish finish exploring the rooms below, make battles or sieges but from thousands of people engineer Ignacio Daza your way up the stairs and gaze out upon each year. The fort is constructed of a unique created for the Cas tillo the waters of Matanzas Bay. From this com- sedimentary rock called Coquina, which, despite its obvious strength, is very fragile and suscepti- de San Marcos is simple manding position, a garrison of Spanish ble to wear. • Please do not climb on the walls and straightforward. This fortress is a hol- troops safeguarded St. Augustine during or sit on the stone surfaces. Also do not climb low square with diamond-shaped bastions the turbulent colonial era. Later English and or sit on the cannon. • Always watch your step. at each corner, with only one way in or out. then American troops also saw service here. Be careful of irregular steps, low walls with no In the bombproof storerooms that surround All stood watch faithfully over the land railings, and loose, uneven surfaces. • Supervise the central Plaza de Armas you will find Juan Ponce de León named, “La Florida.” Entrance children closely. For more information Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Ravelin 1 S. Castillo Dr. St. Augustine, FL 32084 904-829-6506 www.nps.gov/casa Shot Furnace Guard Rooms Plaza de Armas Well Powder Magazine Storage Rooms Chapel British Room Moat A Guide to the Castillo Shot Furnace The U.S. Army filled in the east side of the moat in 1842–44 and mounted sea coast artil lery pieces Covered Way along the seawall. The shot furnace heated can- nonballs until red hot. This hot shot was then fired at an enemy’s wooden ships to set them afire. Powder Magazine, 1675–87 the fortified harbor and city of La Habana, Cuba, their meals in these rooms. The large fireplaces Moat/Glacis/Covered Way This was the only vaulted chamber completed in 1763. Wooden second floors, like the one re- offered warmth on chilly days and provided an The Spanish kept the moat dry and, during sieges, when the Castillo was built (the rest were add ed constructed in this casemate, were built in the area for cooking. The platforms attached to the used it as a pen for domestic animals. Whenever during a later modernization). Its thick coquina high Spanish vaults to provide more space for walls served as beds for the soldiers. the fort was under land attack, the moat could Glacis walls were buried in the earth fill of San Carlos quarters and supplies. British rule lasted for 21 be filled with sea water by opening flood gates Cubo and Bastion to protect the fort’s gunpowder from years. Florida was returned to Spain at the close Ravelin on the seawall. Around the outside of the fort is Rosario Lines fire or enemy shot. Lack of ventilation, however, of the American Revolution in 1783. This triangular outer work shielded the fort’s only a man-made slope called a glacis. This em bank- made it too damp in the small room to store pow- entrance from enemy fire. It was never finished ment shielded and protected the lower fort walls Cubo and Rosario Lines der. When larger, better vaults were built, the Plaza de Armas and Storage Rooms as planned. If completed, the outer wall would from enemy cannon fire. The area be tween the After the British burned St. Augustine during the powder was moved and this room was used for Despite their prison-like appearance, the rooms have been five feet higher, with embrasures for glacis and the moat is called the covered (covert) siege of 1702, the Spanish surrounded the town other things. around the Plaza de Armas, or central courtyard, cannon and a powder magazine. The drawbridge way. This allowed soldiers to leave the fort and with a wall made of earth and palm logs, and a were storage areas. Here the Spanish stockpiled here and the main drawbridge are both work- still be covered or protected by this wall. wide, shallow moat. The only entrance was from Chapel gunpowder, ammunition, weapons, lumber, tools, ing reconstructions. The ravelin bridge would the north through City Gate. A portion of this Religion was important in Span ish daily life. In and food like dried beans, rice, flour, and corn. have been secured each night at sunset; the main Bastions wall, the Cubo Line, has been recovered on the this chapel a priest conducted mass for the sol- Since St. Augustine was not self-sufficient, such bridge was secured only when the fort was under Each of the fort’s four corners is protected by a park grounds. diers. With the in tro duc tion of Christianity to stockpiles of food and ammunition were an attack. diamond-shaped bastion. Cannons in one bastion the Indians in this area, various missions were important part of the town’s defense during a were positioned to create a deadly crossfire with Well established north and west of St. Augustine. The siege. those in two other bastions. The bastions’ thick Three shallow wells in the Plaza de Armas pro- Spanish set up Florida’s mission system over 100 stone walls were packed solid with rubble and vided water for the garrison. One of the wells years before they set up missions in the Ameri- Guard Rooms sand to support the immense weight of the still exists. Fresh water lies six to eight feet below can West. St. Augustine was a garrison town or presidio, cannon. the surface. and no one lived inside the Castillo. The soldiers British Room, 1763–84 lived in town with their families and came to the British troops moved to St. Augustine after Spain fort to stand a rotating guard du ty (usually 24 ceded Florida to Great Britain in ex change for hours). At such times, they slept and prepared ILLUSTRATION BASED ON ORIGINAL BY NPS / L. KENNETH TOWNSEND ILLUSTRATIONS BASED ON ORIGINALS When the British attacked San Marcos and the cour After besieging the town Rammer (Atacador) BY NPS / L. KENNETH TOWNSEND St. Augustine in summer age of its Spanish defend for 38 days the British 1740, they expected a ers, some of whom are gave up and returned to Worm (Sacatrapos) quick and easy victory. shown here responding Georgia. They underestimated the to enemy artil lery fire from Outpost of Empire strength of the Castillo de across Ma tanzas Bay. Sponge (Lanada) Ladle (Cuchara) NPS Castillo de San Mar cos Thanks to the travels of Ponce de León in iards cap tured and killed at an inlet 14 miles Spain’s New World Sea Routes To strengthen the defenses, the Spanish was for many years the 1513, Spanish navigators knew that the best south of St. Augustine. The episode gave a erected new earthwork lines on the north northernmost outpost return route from Spain’s rich Caribbe an pos- name to the area: Matanzas, Spanish for and west sides of St. Augustine, thus making of Spain’s vast New sessions was along the Gulf Stream, through “slaughters.” it a walled city. Matanzas Inlet, however, World empire. It is the the Bahama Channel, and past the shores was still unfortified when Gen. James Ogle- oldest masonry fort and of Florida. The Spanish knew they must England became Spain’s next contender for thorpe’s Brit ish troops from Fort Frederica the best-preserved ex- defend this peninsula to prevent enemies Florida. The Spanish had watched the Eng lish in Georgia attacked St. Augustine in 1740. ample of a Spanish co- from using its harbors as havens from which warily ever since Sir Francis Drake at tacked Again the Castillo was besieged and Matan- lonial fortification in the to raid the passing treasure fleets. and burned St. Augustine in 1586. They zas Inlet blockaded. But the Spanish did continental United States. It became even more watchful after Eng lish- not waver during the 27-day British bom- anchored East Flor ida’s defenses, which ex- In 1513 Spain claimed Florida through the men settled Jamestown in 1607. Brit ish bardment. The attack also taught the Span- tended northward to the St. Marys River, expedition of Ponce de León, but France pirates sacked St. Augustine again in 1668, ish the strategic value of Matanzas Inlet westward to the St. Johns, and southward gained the first foothold there by estab- and this hit-and-run attack, followed by the and the need for a strong outpost there. to Fort Ma tan zas. It protected St. Augustine lishing Fort Caroline on the St. Johns River English settlement of Charleston in 1670, Consequently, in 1742, they completed the from pi rate raids and from Spain’s major in 1564.