Castillo de la Real Fuerza

레알 푸에르사 요새

The Castillo de la Real Fuerza, or Castle of the Royal Force, is a stone fort in Havana, Cuba. It stands on the western side of the harbour next to the Plaza de Armas square. Many people call it the oldest stone fort in the Americas, and it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Old Havana and its Fortifications', listed in 1982.

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At a glance

Country: Cuba
Location: Havana, Cuba
Built: 1577
Type: Fort

Quick answers

Where is Castillo de la Real Fuerza?

Castillo de la Real Fuerza is in Havana, Cuba.

When was Castillo de la Real Fuerza built?

Castillo de la Real Fuerza was built in 1577.

One of the oldest stone forts in the Americas, ringed by a moat; the Giraldilla weathervane on its tower is a symbol of Havana.

The fort was built to protect Havana from pirates. It has thick sloping walls, a moat and a drawbridge. Its tower holds a weathervane called the Giraldilla, which has become a symbol of Havana. Today you can see the fort from the Plaza de Armas.

Why was it built?

In 1555 a French privateer named Jacques de Sores attacked Havana and damaged an earlier fort, called the Old Fort. The Spanish king sent an engineer, Bartolomé Sánchez, who began a new fort in 1558. Work was slow, with the first stones laid in 1562, and the fort was finished in 1577. Most of the work was done by enslaved people and French prisoners. It was made of limestone from the Havana shore.

A fort that became a home

The new fort turned out to be too far inside the bay to stop enemy ships, and it was also too small. So it was used instead as the home of the Governor of Havana. A later fort, El Morro, took over the job of guarding the harbour entrance. Parts of the fort have been changed over the years. For example, its front was torn down in 1851 so that O'Reilly Street could run through to the docks.