Blog Entry w/Site visit

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

When I was younger, I went to the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, and learned about a historical fort with my six other family members, my Grandma, and my Grandpa. We went on February 26, 2017 at 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The fort was created by the Spanish to defend Florida in battle. 

While I was there, I saw giant cannons, and there were cannonballs, recreated to match the ancient cannon balls the Spanish used. Visitors were allowed to pick them up and feel how heavy they were, so I carried one. We also learned about the many types of shots and what they were designed for.

These teal Cannons had markings I believed to be in Latin. There was a cross in the middle of the cannons and some other decorations.

The cannons had an assortment of colors and had interesting markings on them and a lot of rust from all the aging.

I also remember seeing a dirty prison, where over two hundred and thirty prisoners were held. I remember seeing the iron bars and the poorly designed beds, which were made of wood and barely had cloth on them. The walls were made from bricks called coquinas. They were made of limestone, as I remember a worker saying.

I also went to the four corners of the castle, and remember looking out in the distance with the wonderful view. The sun was too bright, so I had to squint my eyes. There was also a movie theater, where visitors could learn about the history of Spanish colonies and how the fort was important to their safety. This picture was taken in one of the four corners, facing outward. Cannons were lined up the sides as the fort's weapons and I could see the beach and the ocean.

 This picture was also taken while I was standing on the fort's corner, facing inward. An amusette can be seen at the mid-left, the weapon covered by a small fence. I will go into detail about it.

This image is the amusette from before. The amusette was armed with a lightweight gun that was mounted on swivel. It was used to prevent enemy field weapons and could also be used to shoot at enemy troops. It was highly common in the 1700s and the 1800s.

Although I couldn't find a picture of myself, I have one of my dad.

Afterwards, we had Al's pizza, nearby the Castillo, and enjoyed each other's company.

I think the important take away are that we went to a famous Spanish fort and learned a lot about how the Spanish defended their territory in war in person, and got to learn hands-on what it was like to be in the fort. The relevance to Florida is very important because this fort is located in St. Augustine, and is one of the first settlements to be founded.