La Fortaleza

For the album by Francisca Valenzuela, see La Fortaleza (album). For the 2020 film, see La Fortaleza (film). For the Club Atlético Lanús stadium, see Estadio Ciudad de Lanús – Néstor Díaz Pérez.
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; 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
Map
Interactive
General information
TypeMedieval fortification, Castle, Palace, Mansion
Architectural styleFortification, Spanish Renaissance, Neoclassical
LocationOld San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Address63 Calle Fortaleza, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
Coordinates18°27′51″N 66°7′9″W / 18.46417°N 66.11917°W / 18.46417; -66.11917
Construction started1533
Completed1540
Known forBattle 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.fortaleza.pr.gov
TypeCultural
Criteriavi
Designated1983 (7th session)
Part ofLa Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico
Reference no.266
RegionThe Americas
Official nameLa Fortaleza
DesignatedOctober 9, 1960[1]
Official nameLa Fortaleza
DesignatedOctober 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 district 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]

Logo of La Fortaleza
  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "National Register Information System – La Fortaleza (#66000951)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  3. ^ Rivero Méndez, Ángel (September 2, 2019). "Crónica de la guerra hispano-americana en Puerto Rico". Wikisource (in Spanish). p. 23. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  4. ^ "La Fortaleza | Oficina del Gobernador". www.fortaleza.pr.gov (in Spanish). Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "LA FORTALEZA, OFICINA DEL GOBERNADOR". fortaleza.pr.gov (in Spanish). Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  7. ^ "La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico". World Heritage Sites. Paris: UNESCO. 1983. #266. Retrieved September 23, 2024.