The Fortress of Santa Cruz or “Castillogrande”

At the beginning of the XVII century it was decided to fortify the inner bay, and in a royal decree of 1608 the construction of a fort in the Punta del Judío, the Santa Cruz was ordered. Known familiarly as Castillogrande, it was constructed by Cristóbal de Roda and Francisco de Murga between 1626 and 1636, following the plan of Tiburcio Spanoqui. It was a fortress with a square base, having bulwarks in each of the four corners, a central yard of arms and a moat.

When the Bocagrande entrance was closed in 1640, the defensive strategy of the bay changed, centering on the Bocachica entrance. This fact affected the existing fortresses of the bay, ordering their dismantling in 1647 to reuse the materials in the construction of San Luis de Bocachica. Notwithstanding, Castillogrande would survive until the French attack led by the Baron De Pointis in 1697, when it was severely ruined.

Juan de Herrera y Sotomayor considered it key for the defense of the port, therefore, in 1728 he directed its reconstruction which would not be completed in 1741 when Vernon attacked the city. The fortress was partially destroyed and would not be rebuilt, its remains being used from then on as ammunition for the artillery. This use continued until 1938, when an explosion in a munitions deposit maintained there by the Navy destroyed its vaults, leaving only a portion of the rampart next to the port and other vestiges. It is currently integrated into the installations of the Officers’ Club of the National Navy.