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Fortaleza San Felipe

Coordinates: 19°48′14.3856″N 70°41′45.34″W / 19.803996000°N 70.6959278°W / 19.803996000; -70.6959278
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For the fortress and citadel in Puerto Rico known as Castillo San Felipe del Morro, see Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
Museo de la Fortaleza San Felipe
Map
Established1965
Opened to the Public in 1983
LocationPuerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Coordinates19°48′15″N 70°41′45″W / 19.8041°N 70.695925°W / 19.8041; -70.695925
TypeHistory museum

The Fortaleza San Felipe is a historic Spanish fortress located in the north of the Dominican Republic in the province of Puerto Plata. Also known as El Morro de San Felipe, it was used to protect the City of Puerto Plata from foreign invaders, pirates, and privateers.[1] It is located on a hill at the Puntilla del Malecón (the "seawall point"), overlooking the entrance to the city's seaport.

The fort's construction was commissioned in 1564 and completed in 1577.[2][3] It was named for King Felipe II of Spain.[4] The fort is one of the oldest European structures in the Caribbean,[5][6] and is the only remnant of the 16th century in Puerto Plata.[7]

Today, the Fortaleza San Felipe serves as a museum[8][9] showcasing the important role it has played in the history of Puerto Plata and the Dominican Republic. The fortress houses military artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries.[8]

History

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In 1564 the Spanish commissioned the construction of a fort in Puerto Plata, under the direction of Francisco Ceballos.[10] After Ceballos' death in 1572, construction was taken over by Don Rengifo de Angulo.[2] The fort's construction was completed in 1577.[2] It was named for the King of Spain, Felipe II.[4]

The fort was strategically constructed on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and entrance to the city's harbor: the Port of Puerto Plata. The fort's purpose was to defend the island's north coast from British and Dutch invaders, as well as from pirate attacks and pillaging.[11]

Over the centuries, the fort was the site of battles, captures, and occupations. In 1659, the fort was temporarily captured by buccaneers.[6] In 1800, the fortress was the scene of one of the few land battles in the Quasi War, against the United States. Specifically, the Battle of Puerto Plata Harbor in May 1800 saw American forces overwhelm both the French and Spanish forces. In 1863, the Spanish took refuge in the Fortaleza de San Felipe when the city was attacked by Dominican patriots on August 27. [12] The fort was captured and occupied by U.S. naval forces in 1916, at the start of the United States occupation of the Dominican Republic that lasted from 1916 to 1924.[13]

The Fortaleza San Felipe was used as a prison multiple times throughout its history, including during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.[11][14] It was where President Pedro Santana jailed one of the Dominican Republic's founding fathers, Juan Pablo Duarte. During Trujillo's rule, it was where the husbands of the Mirabal sisters were jailed.[14][15]

The fortress was converted into a museum in 1965. It underwent a major renovation in 1972, and was officially opened to public in 1983.[16][17] Today, the fortress is the only remnant of the 16th century in Puerto Plata. Other historic areas were destroyed in battles or fires during the War of Restoration.[7]

[edit]
  • Visitors in front of the entrance to the fort
    Visitors in front of the entrance to the fort
  • Fortress walls and entrance
    Fortress walls and entrance
  • Cannons at fort
    Cannons at fort
  • Statue of General Gregorio Luperón near the fort
    Statue of General Gregorio Luperón near the fort
  • Fortress grounds, with cruise ship in the harbor in the background
    Fortress grounds, with cruise ship in the harbor in the background
  • Entrance to the fort
    Entrance to the fort

References

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  1. ^ "Tourism Information". Embassy of the Dominican Republic. 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
  2. ^ a b c "Fortaleza San Felipe: Puerto Plata". El-Bohio.com. 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
  3. ^ "Museo Fortaleza San Felipe". museosrd.gob.do (in Spanish). 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  4. ^ a b Hanna, Nick; Stanford, Emma (2007). The Caribbean. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1-4262-0141-7.
  5. ^ Harvey, Sean (2013-10-10). The Rough Guide to the Dominican Republic. Rough Guides UK. ISBN 978-1-4093-5042-2.
  6. ^ a b Hanna, Nick; Stanford, Emma (2007). The Caribbean. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1-4262-0141-7.
  7. ^ a b "Historia de Puerto Plata". PuertoPlata.com.do. 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
  8. ^ a b "Museo Fortaleza San Felipe | MUSEOSRD" (in Spanish). 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  9. ^ "Fortaleza San Felipe: #11 in Best Things To Do in Puerto Plata". pp. U.S. News and World Report.
  10. ^ "Museo Fortaleza San Felipe". museosrd.gob.do (in Spanish). 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  11. ^ a b "Fortaleza San Felipe". www.godominicanrepublic.com. Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  12. ^ From Quisqueya: In Search of New Horizons. Dominican Cultural Heritage Resource Guide. Board of Education of the City of New York. 1995.
  13. ^ Mcclellan, U. S. M. C., Major Edwin N. (February 1921). Proceedings: Operations Ashore In The Dominican Republic. Vol. 47/2/216. U.S Naval Institute.
  14. ^ a b Roorda, Eric Paul (2016-04-28). Historical Dictionary of the Dominican Republic. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8108-7906-5.
  15. ^ Gleijeses, Piero (1978). The Dominican Crisis: The 1965 Constitutionalist Revolt and American Intervention. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-2025-0.
  16. ^ "DATES SOBRE LA REPUBLICA DOMINICANA". Livio.com. 2005. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
  17. ^ "Secretaría de Estado de Cultura". National Secretary of Cultural Affairs. 2005. Archived from the original on 2009-10-20. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
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19°48′14.3856″N 70°41′45.34″W / 19.803996000°N 70.6959278°W / 19.803996000; -70.6959278

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