English version
Hello friends, I invite you to take a tour of the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta museum, located in Havana just at the entrance to the bay. This fortress dating from the 16th century is part of the first defensive system that the capital had together with the Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro and the Castillo de La Real Fuerza, because since the founding of the town of San Cristóbal de La Habana defined its settlement in 1519, the strategic importance of the so-called ''Punta'' was recognised due to its location at the entrance of the bay and the port. As the placement of lookouts and isolated artillery pieces, and the construction of trenches or the chain that closed the entrance to the Havana port channel were not enough for the defence of the city, that is why in 1590 the construction of the Castle of San Salvador de La Punta began, under the command of the military engineer Bautista Antonelli, in spite of the disagreements between Antonelli and the governor, as well as the lashings of the hurricanes, the fortress was finished in 1630 and fulfilled its mission. In 1982, it was declared a World Heritage Site along with Havana's historic centre and fortification system.
Before the entrance to the museum we find an expressive bronze sculpture representing the Venezuelan Generalissimo Sebastián Francisco de Miranda who was the precursor of the independence of America.
The entrance to the castle is through a doorway that stands out for being framed with perfectly cut ashlars; and a cross of Santiago crowns the lintel.
This photograph shows a general plan of the structure of the fortress. As you can see, it basically consists of four bastions at its corners and a Plaza de Armas inside.
The entrance to the castle is what used to be the guardhouse, whose function was to house the soldiers who performed this service and to control access to the castle.
Here on one of its walls is a decoration awarded in 2002 by the National Council for Cultural Heritage.
Adjacent to the guardhouse is the Aljibe, used to store rainwater; it was built above ground level to avoid contamination by seawater. With the improvements in Havana's water supply system, it ceased to fulfil this function and became an extension of the guardhouse.
The Quintanilla Bastion forms part of the defensive land front, on the southern side towards the city, and its ground level is higher than the front facing north, at the entrance to the bay channel. Its name refers to Ensign Diego Lópes Quintanilla, the first commander of the fortress.
This enclosure in the image below was the accommodation for officers and soldiers. It is located on the southern front (towards the city), and underwent several transformations over the years. Initially it was a single-storey building, but later the embankment was occupied to expand the accommodation and comfort of the officers. To access the upper levels of the castle, the paths were sloped to facilitate the movement of troops, artillery and equipment.
The Plaza de Armas served as a space where military ceremonies and exercises were held. During the 20th century, this area underwent important transformations until it reached its current appearance. The floor of the Plaza is paved with boulders of varied lithological composition.
On the northern flank facing the bay channel is the Artillery Hall of Colonial Havana. Here are exhibited pieces of the old cannons used during the attacks on Havana.
Climbing up the ramp, we reach the top of the castle, from where the military defence was carried out during attacks. The cannons and other artillery pieces that served the city's defensive needs are on display here.
Parrott guns cast in 1866, for sea and land service, located on the Antonelli bulwark. Designed by US Army Captain Robert Parrott at the West Point foundry, they were the first to be made with a rifled bore in the USA.
Image of the Antonelli Bastion. Turrets like this one were placed in the capital corner of the bastions to protect the sentries.
These smaller guns are naval artillery pieces, designed for land forces and later developed by the Carron Company of Scotland. They were adapted for the navy, where they were at their peak, in 1779.
This picture shows the Bastion of San Lorenzo and in the background the lighthouse of the fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña. The photographs were taken from the Texeda Bastion. Note the actual height of the ramparts, about 15 feet and a thickness of between 10 and 12 feet.
That day the sea was rough with strong northerly winds from a cold front.
Well, so much for our tour of this interesting site. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for your time. See you on the next tour.
All photos are mine, taken with my Moto g play (2021) mobile phone.
Translated at DeepL.
Versión en español
Hola amigos, les invito realizar un recorrido por el museo Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta, ubicado en la Habana justo a la entrada de la bahía. Esta fortaleza que data del siglo XVI forma parte del primer sistema defensivo con que contó la capital conjuntamente con el Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro y el Castillo de La Real Fuerza, pues desde que se fundó la villa de San Cristóbal de La Habana definiera su asentamiento en 1519, se reconoció la importancia estratégica que tenía la llamada ´´Punta´´ por su ubicación en la entrada de la bahía y el puerto. Como la colocación de vigías y piezas de artillería aislada, y la construcción de trincheras o la cadena que cerraba la entrada al canal del puerto habanero no resultaron suficientes para la defensa de la ciudad, es por ello que a partir de 1590 se inició la construcción del Castillo de San Salvador de La Punta, bajo el mando del ingeniero militar Bautista Antonelli, a pesar de las discrepancias entre Antonelli y el gobernador , así como los azotes de los huracanes, la fortaleza quedó concluida en 1630 y cumplió su misión. En 1982, fue declarada como Patrimonio de la Humanidad junto al centro histórico y al sistema de fortificaciones de La Habana.
Antes de la entrada al museo nos encontramos con una expresiva escultura en bronce que representa al Generalísimo venezolano Sebastián Francisco de Miranda quien fuera el precursor de la independencia de América.
La entrada al castillo se realiza por una portada que destaca por estar enmarcada con sillares perfectamente tallados; y una cruz de Santiago corona el dintel.
Esta fotografía muestra un plano general de la estructura de la fortaleza. Como puede verse, consta básicamente de cuatro baluartes en sus esquinas y una Plaza de Armas en su interior.
La entrada al castillo es lo que fue el cuerpo de guardia, cuya función era albergar a los soldados que realizaban este servicio y controlar el acceso al castillo.
En una de sus paredes hay una condecoración concedida en 2002 por el Consejo Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural.
Adyacente al cuerpo de guardia se encuentra el Aljibe, utilizado para almacenar el agua de lluvia; se construyó sobre el nivel del suelo para evitar la contaminación por el agua de mar. Con las mejoras en el sistema de abastecimiento de agua de La Habana, dejó de cumplir esta función y se convirtió en una extensión del cuerpo de guardia.
El Baluarte de Quintanilla forma parte del frente terrestre defensivo, en el lado sur hacia la ciudad, y su nivel del suelo es más alto que el frente orientado al norte, en la entrada del canal de la bahía. Su nombre hace referencia al alférez Diego López Quintanilla, primer comandante de la fortaleza.
Este recinto de la imagen inferior era el alojamiento de oficiales y soldados. Está situado en el frente sur (hacia la ciudad), y sufrió varias transformaciones a lo largo de los años. Inicialmente era un edificio de una sola planta, pero más tarde se ocupó el terraplén para ampliar el alojamiento y la comodidad de los oficiales. Para acceder a los niveles superiores del castillo, los caminos estaban en pendiente para facilitar el movimiento de tropas, artillería y equipo.
La Plaza de Armas servía de espacio donde se celebraban ceremonias y ejercicios militares. Durante el siglo XX, esta zona sufrió importantes transformaciones hasta alcanzar su aspecto actual. El suelo de la Plaza está pavimentado con cantos rodados de composición litológica variada.
En el flanco norte, frente al canal de la bahía, se encuentra la Sala de Artillería de La Habana Colonial. Aquí se exhiben piezas de los antiguos cañones utilizados durante los ataques a La Habana.
Subiendo por la rampa, llegamos a la parte superior del castillo, desde donde se llevaba a cabo la defensa militar durante los ataques. Aquí se exponen los cañones y otras piezas de artillería que servían a las necesidades defensivas de la ciudad.
Cañones Parrott fundidos en 1866, para servicio marítimo y terrestre, situados en la amurada Antonelli. Diseñados por el capitán del ejército estadounidense Robert Parrott en la fundición de West Point, fueron los primeros en fabricarse con ánima rayada en Estados Unidos.
Imagen del Bastión Antonelli. Torretas como ésta se colocaban en el ángulo capital de los bastiones para proteger a los centinelas.
Estos cañones más pequeños son piezas de artillería naval, diseñadas para las fuerzas terrestres y desarrolladas posteriormente por la Carron Company de Escocia. Se adaptaron para la marina, donde alcanzaron su máximo esplendor, en 1779.
Esta fotografía muestra el Baluarte de San Lorenzo y al fondo el faro de la fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña. Las fotografías fueron tomadas desde el Baluarte de Texeda. Nótese la altura real de las murallas, unos 15 pies y un grosor de entre 10 y 12 pies.
Ese día el mar estaba agitado por fuertes vientos norteños de un frente frío.
Bueno, hasta aquí nuestro recorrido por este interesante lugar. Espero que lo hayan disfrutado. Gracias por su tiempo. Nos vemos en el próximo recorrido.
Todas las fotos son mías, tomadas con mi teléfono móvil Moto g play (2021).
Traducidas en DeepL.
Amazing place. I love castles, they are some of my favorite spots :)
While I was reading your post and watching these pictures I was trying to imagine how it was back in time, the scenes you could normally witness from those walls, how the ships, the people and the landscapes appeared... it's a daydream :)
Congratulations, thank you for sharing this post!
Hello. Thanks for your comment. I love castles, too. It's fantastic
You're welcome! ✌️🤠
Very beautiful picture my friend
Hello. Thanks friend.
I love castles and this museum looks amazing 😍😍😍
Yes, you are right. Thanks for your comment
This is a wonderful sight to see and it gives a very beautiful feeling to see the beautiful heritage monuments. I can see some heritage monuments in this place which look great.
Hello. Thanks very much friend. Yes, you are right. It's very interesting. Thanks for your comment.
Thank you, enjoy the place.
Travel Digest #2453.
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