La Fortaleza (Puerto Rico)

La Fortaleza is the current official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. It was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the port of San Juan in Puerto Rico. The structure is also known as Palace of Santa Catalina, in honor of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, patron saint of eloquence, philosophers, bachelors, spinners, students, and Dominicans. The Executive Mansion is the oldest in continuous use in the New World. It was listed by UNESCO in 1983 as part of the World Heritage Site and National Historic Site of San Juan in 1966 and in 1960 it was registered in the National Register of Historic Places.

History

San Juan circa 1671. Dutch view of the City, in the foreground The medieval Fortress

The Fortaleza / Palacio de Santa Catalina was the first fortification built to defend the city of San Juan and the first in a series of military forts, including Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Fort San Cristóbal and Fortín de San Gerónimo. The construction was authorized by King Carlos I of Spain as a protection measure against attacks by Indians, corsairs and pirates.

Construction began in 1533 and was completed on May 25, 1540. Initially, the medieval-type structure was made up of four walls and an interior courtyard with a circular tower, known as the Command Tower. From the top of the tower, the governor, following the military tradition, took the oath of office. Later, a second tower, known as La Torre Austral, was built. During the 19th century, the Fortress underwent many expansions and improvements. Today, the complex is made up of several linked buildings with the living quarters on the second floor and the private quarters on the third. La Fortaleza overlooks the walls of San Juan towards the bay and contains gardens with several pools.

Entrance to La Fortaleza

Since the 16th century, La Fortaleza has served as the official residence of the governor, thus being the most used executive mansion continued in the Americas. The mansion was thoroughly remodeled in 1846 by the Spanish authorities to adapt its military origin to its new purely administrative function. Approximately 170 rulers have occupied the mansion and it has hosted hundreds of dignitaries, including US President John F. Kennedy and his wife, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who visited in 1961, HH. the Kings of Spain Juan Carlos I and Sofia of Greece in 1987, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the President of the United States Barack Obama in 2011, SS.MM. the Kings of Spain Felipe VI and Letizia in 2016, among other politicians, heads of state and members of royalty.

The Spanish Fortress was occupied three times by invading forces:

• 1598, George Clifford, the Earl of Cumberland, attacked the city.
• 1625, Balduino Enrico of Holland invaded the city and occupied La Fortaleza.
• 1898, the United States Navy invaded and occupied Puerto Rico, establishing a provisional government.

According to tradition, in 1898, just before the United States took possession of Puerto Rico after its victory in the Spanish-American War, the last Spanish governor, Ricardo de Ortega, broke a clock with his sword, thus marking the time and the day that Spain lost control of the island. The clock is still kept in La Fortaleza.

On October 30, 1950, Puerto Rican nationalists attacked the mansion, but were arrested by the police.

News

Between 2013 and 2015, La Fortaleza / Palacio de Santa Catalina, was the object of a great heritage rescue effort, in charge of the Puerto Rico State Office of Historical Conservation. The work included from the change of color of the main façade to the restoration of the State Staircase and its windows, taking care that the historical and architectural value was not lost.

Did you know?

156 governors have lived in La Fortaleza: 124 under the Spanish regime, 19 under the US regime and 13 Puerto Ricans, 11 elected, one appointed by the President of the United States Jesús T. Piñero and one sworn in by the Constitution of Puerto Rico Wanda Vazquez Garced.

Jerónimo Lebrón de Quiñones was the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was appointed by the Spanish crown in 1544.

The Sunken Garden was named the Doña Inés Garden in honor of Doña Inés Mendoza, wife of ex-governor Luis Muñoz Marín, because that was her favorite place in La Fortaleza, where she lived for 16 years.

Three flags fly above La Fortaleza: Puerto Rico, the United States, and the Governor's white. When the white flag is not raised, it is because the president is outside the Santa Catalina Palace.

The Homage Tower houses the Santa Catalina chapel, where a colorful mosaic of 95,000 pieces stands out in honor of the Holy Trinity.

The paintings that are exhibited in La Fortaleza are on loan from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and are changed according to the taste of the current ruler.

Originally, La Fortaleza was painted salmon red, the characteristic color of military installations at the time. Its wooden doors were green and its columns were painted white with gold accents.

The Fortress has two towers: the Astral Tower and the Homage Tower, which show that it was originally a military structure.

In 1956, when uncovering an area covered with a panel, what could be the old kitchen of La Fortaleza in the Austral Tower was discovered.

It is located at the beginning of Calle de la Fortaleza, the oldest street with the oldest name in the city.