Back لا فورتاليزا Arabic La Fortaleza Catalan La Fortaleza German La Fortaleza (Puerto Rico) Spanish La Fortaleza Basque La Fortaleza Finnish La Fortaleza French La Fortaleza Galician מצודת סן חואן HE La Fortaleza Italian
| La Fortaleza | |
|---|---|
Palacio de Santa Catalina | |
From top, left to right: Close-up front view of main façade of La Fortaleza; wide front view of the palace; view of Calle de la Fortaleza (Fortaleza Street) leading to the palace; close-up rear view of the palace; and wide aerial, rear view of the palace within the Walls of Old San Juan and above Paseo de la Princesa from San Juan Bay in Old San Juan | |
 Interactive | |
| General information | |
| Type | Medieval fortification, Castle, Palace, Mansion |
| Architectural style | Fortification, Spanish Renaissance, Neoclassical |
| Location | Old San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Address | 63 Calle Fortaleza, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901 |
| Coordinates | 18°27′51″N 66°7′9″W / 18.46417°N 66.11917°W |
| Construction started | 1533 |
| Completed | 1540 |
| Known for | Battle of San Juan (1595) Battle of San Juan (1598) Battle of San Juan (1625) Battle of San Juan (1797) Bombardment of San Juan (1898) |
| Website | |
| www | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | vi |
| Designated | 1983 (7th session) |
| Part of | La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico |
| Reference no. | 266 |
| Region | The Americas |
| Official name | La Fortaleza |
| Designated | October 9, 1960[1] |
| Official name | La Fortaleza |
| Designated | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference no. | 66000951[2] |
La Fortaleza (English: "the fortress"), also known as the Palacio de Santa Catalina[3] (Saint Catherine's Palace), is the official residence and workplace of the governor of Puerto Rico. Located in the historical quarter of Old San Juan in the capital municipality of San Juan, it has served as the governor’s residence since the 16th century, making it the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the New World.[4] Built from 1533 to 1540 by orders of King Charles I of Spain, the structure was the first fortification constructed by the Spanish on San Juan Islet to defend San Juan Bay, the harbor of Old San Juan. La fortaleza, alongside El Morro, San Cristóbal, El Cañuelo, and other forts part of the Walls of Old San Juan, protected strategically and militarily important Puerto Rico, or La Llave de las Indias (The Key to the Indies),[5] from invasion by competing world powers and harassment by privateers and pirates during the Age of Sail.[6] It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1983.[7]
Situated in the western end of San Juan Islet in the Old San Juan historic quarter, La Fortaleza, seat of the executive branch, is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Capitol of Puerto Rico, seat of the legislative branch, in the middle of the Islet in the Puerta de Tierra historic district, and 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Supreme Court Building, seat of the judicial branch, in the eastern end of the Islet in Puerta de Tierra.
- ^ "National Historic Landmarks: A Preservation Program of the National Park Service" (PDF). National Park Service. Washington, D.C.: Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation. 1976. p. 119. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ "National Register Information System – La Fortaleza (#66000951)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
- ^ Rivero Méndez, Ángel (September 2, 2019). "Crónica de la guerra hispano-americana en Puerto Rico". Wikisource (in Spanish). p. 23. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ "La Fortaleza | Oficina del Gobernador". www.fortaleza.pr.gov (in Spanish). Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "Justificación para una historia militar de Puerto Rico" (PDF). Academia Puertorriqueña de la Historia (in Spanish). April 4, 2023. pp. 250–51. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "LA FORTALEZA, OFICINA DEL GOBERNADOR". fortaleza.pr.gov (in Spanish). Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico". World Heritage Sites. Paris: UNESCO. 1983. #266. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
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