Fending off Pirates

Fending off Pirates -
Havana's "El Morro" Castle

After suffering attacks at the hands of pirates, privateers and French Corsairs in the 1500's, Spanish settlers on the island of Cuba found themselves vulnerable to invasion. When associates of pirate Francois Le Clerc (also known as Peg Leg) sacked and burned Havana to the ground in 1555, a Spanish royal decree laid the foundation for a new defensive strategy.
In his fascinating book, "Havana: Autobiography of a City," journalist Alfredo José Estrada chronicles the development of the young settlement's fortifications - efforts that led to the birth of a great city.

The Real Fuerza fortress was the first major Spanish attempt to guard Havana harbor. While it seems to have deterred Sir Francis Drake and his fearsome armada of twenty-two ships in 1586, the Spaniards still feared future attacks.

To fortify the Real Fuerza, King Philip II ordered the construction of a new defensive structure in 1588. El Morro, a state-of-the-art fortress, would protect Havana for centuries.

"Designed by the celebrated Italian military architect, Giovanni Baptista Antonelli, [El Morro's] polygonal walls contain two landward bastions with a deep moat. The battery guarding the channel is known as Los Doce Apostoles (The 12 Apostles)."

Estrada says to this day, El Morro remains the most visible symbol of Havana. "It is to the city what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, or the Coliseum is to Rome, framed in countless postcards sent back to Barcelona, Chicago or Kiev."

If you want to read more fascinating Cuban history, "Havana: Autobiography of a City" is available on www.OldHavanaFoods.com ($14.95 plus $5.99 shipping).

Authentic Old Havana Foods
Free Delivery Special (limited offer)
www.oldhavanafoods.com