Fort San Felipe
Fortaleza San Felipe is a marvelous historic
Spanish fortress that is situated in the northern region of the
Dominican Republic, in the Puerto Plata province, and known
locally as the El Morro de San Felipe and was built to protect
the city of Puerto Plata from pirates and other marauders that
might have attacked the harbor. The fort rests on the hill at
the Puntilla Del Malecon, that looks out over the ocean, with a
very strategic location to protect the entrance to the city's
harbor and seaport. The construction had been ordered by King
Felipe II of Spain in 1564, and finished in 1577 by Don Reggifo
de Angulo, the fort's mayor. The fort has become a wonderful
museum that depicts the significant role that it has played in
the history of the city and the nation, with military relics
from the 18th and 19th centuries. During its history, it has
been used as a prison, when Pedro Santana would jail one of the
founding fathers, Juan Pablo Duarte. It would become a museum in
1965, enjoying a major restoration in 1972, and in 1983, would
be officially opened to the public. Now, it is the last
surviving remains of the 16th century in the city, since
everything else that had been built or made was destroyed by
fire or battles in the War of Restoration.
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