San Carlos de la Cabana fortress

Inside the Fortress

The San Carlos de la Cabana fortress is located to the east of Havana City and is the biggest fortress in America.

The San Carlos de la Cabana fortress or La Cabana was built by King Carlos III, one of the Spanish kings in the late eighteenth century.

The fortress derives the first part of its name, from the king who commissioned its construction and the latter half of its name came into being as a result of a few houses or huts that were in the vicinity of the fortress, as it was being constructed.

La Cabana was constructed over a period of eleven years by Silvestre Abarca, one of Spain’s most well-known architects of the time, with the assistance of two French engineers.

The San Carlos de la Cabana cost fourteen million euros to construct and is considered to be a fine example of some of the finest European military implementations.

The fortress boasts a unique hydraulic system designed to resemble the curved flanks favored by the French at that time.

The fortress also features a dry moat and high walls and a garrison that could, if the need arose, hold up to six thousand men at a time.

Adapting these various elements meant that the San Carlos de la Cabana fortress was the ultimate in functionality, modernity, and every other dynamic that plays a role in the course of battle; it is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Although the fortress has never really been a part of a war, it is still being put to use. In the eighteenth century to warn people, a shot was fired from the fortress to warn people when the city gates were opening or closing.

This tradition is maintained even today, with a shot being fired every night at nine p.m.

The fortress is home to a stunning array of weapons from all across the world and has also served as Che Guevara’s headquarters for a period in 1959.