{"id":208793,"date":"2019-11-06T18:25:12","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T23:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=208793"},"modified":"2019-11-06T18:25:12","modified_gmt":"2019-11-06T23:25:12","slug":"san-cristobal-de-la-habanas-half-millennium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/san-cristobal-de-la-habanas-half-millennium\/","title":{"rendered":"San Crist\u00f3bal de La Habana\u00b4s half-millennium"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was the last of seven townships founded in Cuba during the second decade of the sixteenth century. In a short time, thanks to its port and strategic geographic location with easy access to the Gulf Stream, it became one of the most important cities in the Americas, along with Mexico City and Lima.<\/p>\n

Initially, and for centuries thereafter, Havana was the Spanish crown\u2019s largest shipyard. Later it was a convening point for the Royal Fleet\u2019s navigation to the peninsula, given the prevalence of corsairs and pirates in the Caribbean Sea. Dozens of ships loaded with gold, silver and treasures from South and Central America would dock for long stays in Havana until, once united, they would sail to Spain escorted by heavily armed ships. These circumstances turned Havana into a hub for trade, lodging, and provision of food and water, in addition to gambling dens and other distractions for sailors and travelers.<\/p>\n

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View of the Faro del Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was necessary, then, to fortify the town to avoid the ravages of looting and fires that it was subjected to during the continuous pirate attacks. The Castillo de la Real Fuerza, built in 1560, is a magnificent example of Renaissance military architecture, unmatched in this part of the world. Its two eternal guardians were built in the 1590s at the entrance of the port: La Punta and the imposing Castillo del Morro.<\/p>\n

Despite the fact that the walled city was thus guarded by land and sea, the English crown occupied it for 11 months in 1762. Constant protection required building the great fortress of San Carlos de la Caba\u00f1a on the hill dominating the port and the coast, the largest fortress in all of Spanish America. In two other nearby elevations, the Spaniards also built the castles of Atar\u00e9s and Pr\u00edncipe, in addition to the various forts and towers along several coastal kilometers.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

As trade continued to develop, large, baroque-style government buildings were erected, such as the Palace of the Captains General and that of the Second Corporal; the Cathedral is the greatest example of this style despite being less ornately decorated than those in countries with rich pre-Columbian traditions.<\/p>\n

Today, large mansions with beautiful interior courtyards, stained-glass windows with multiple designs and colors, as well as the elaborate ironwork on windows and balconies, reveal the richness and architectural diversity of Colonial Havana. The five main squares offered the best in urbanism at the time.<\/p>\n

In the mid-nineteenth century, the city walls were torn down to allow for expansion to the west and south. Noteworthy examples are the Villalba and Aldama mansions, the latter the most notable neoclassical building of that era.<\/p>\n