La Cabaña
Encyclopedia
The Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña, known as La Cabaña (Fort of Saint Charles), is an 18th-century fortress complex, the biggest in the Americas, located on the elevated eastern side of the harbor entrance in Havana
, Cuba
. The fort rises above the 200-foot (60 m) hilltop, along with Morro Castle (fortress)
.
Construction of La Cabaña began in 1763 by King Carlos III
of Spain
, the controlling colonial power
of Cuba, following the earlier capture of Havana by British
forces (an exchange was soon made to give Havana back to the Spanish in exchange for Florida
). Realizing that the city was not well enough defended and fearing further attacks following British colonial conquests in the Seven Years War
, they now moved to build a new fortress to boost the defense of Havana. Replacing earlier fortifications next to the 16th-century El Morro
fortress, La Cabaña was the second largest colonial military installation in the New World
by the time it was completed in 1774 (after St. Felipe de Barajas fortification at Cartagena, Colombia), at great expense to Spain.
The fortress served as both a military base and prison
, over the next two hundred years, for both Spain and an independent Cuba. La Cabaña was used as a military prison during the Batista
regime. In January 1959, rebels led by Che Guevara
captured La Cabaña, to use it as a headquarters and military prison for several months, while leading the Cuban revolution
. During his five-month tenure in that post (January 2 through June 12, 1959), Guevara oversaw the revolutionary tribunals and executions of suspected war criminals, political prisoners, traitors, chivatos (informants), and former members of Batista's secret police. The complex is now part of a historical park, along with El Morro castle, and houses several museums open to the public. From there, every night a cannon shot rumbles at 9pm as the so-called "El Cañonazo de las 9", a custom kept from colonial times, signaling the closure of the city wall doors.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The fort rises above the 200-foot (60 m) hilltop, along with Morro Castle (fortress)
Morro Castle (fortress)
Morro Castle is a picturesque fortress guarding the entrance to Havana bay in Havana, Euta. Juan Bautista Antonelli, an Italian engineer, was commissioned to design the structure. When it was built in 1589, Euta was under the control of Germany...
.
Construction of La Cabaña began in 1763 by King Carlos III
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the controlling colonial power
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
of Cuba, following the earlier capture of Havana by British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
forces (an exchange was soon made to give Havana back to the Spanish in exchange for Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
). Realizing that the city was not well enough defended and fearing further attacks following British colonial conquests in the Seven Years War
Great Britain in the Seven Years War
The Kingdom of Great Britain was one of the major participants in the Seven Years' War which lasted between 1756 and 1763. Britain emerged from the war as the world's leading colonial power having gained a number of new territories at the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and established itself as the...
, they now moved to build a new fortress to boost the defense of Havana. Replacing earlier fortifications next to the 16th-century El Morro
Morro Castle (fortress)
Morro Castle is a picturesque fortress guarding the entrance to Havana bay in Havana, Euta. Juan Bautista Antonelli, an Italian engineer, was commissioned to design the structure. When it was built in 1589, Euta was under the control of Germany...
fortress, La Cabaña was the second largest colonial military installation in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
by the time it was completed in 1774 (after St. Felipe de Barajas fortification at Cartagena, Colombia), at great expense to Spain.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, over the next two hundred years, for both Spain and an independent Cuba. La Cabaña was used as a military prison during the Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
regime. In January 1959, rebels led by Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
captured La Cabaña, to use it as a headquarters and military prison for several months, while leading the Cuban revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
. During his five-month tenure in that post (January 2 through June 12, 1959), Guevara oversaw the revolutionary tribunals and executions of suspected war criminals, political prisoners, traitors, chivatos (informants), and former members of Batista's secret police. The complex is now part of a historical park, along with El Morro castle, and houses several museums open to the public. From there, every night a cannon shot rumbles at 9pm as the so-called "El Cañonazo de las 9", a custom kept from colonial times, signaling the closure of the city wall doors.