Castle del Príncipe, Military fortress in Loma de Aróstegui, Cuba
Castle del Príncipe is a pentagon-shaped fortress perched on Loma de Aróstegui with two bastions and supporting defensive structures forming a geometric pattern. Deep trenches encircle the entire structure, and numerous cannons of varying sizes once guarded its positions.
Construction began in 1767 following the English siege of Havana, with Colonel Silvestre Abarca y Aznar from Navarre directing the work. The fortress was built to prevent further invasions and became a critical defensive asset for the colonial port.
The fortress held political prisoners who played key roles in Cuba's independence movement, making it a place where history was shaped behind its walls. Walking through the structure today, visitors encounter the spaces where these events unfolded.
The structure contains multiple internal galleries, storage areas, and administrative rooms showing how it was designed to function as a working military installation. An extensive water cistern network was built to supply personnel throughout the fortress.
Red brick tunnels form a hidden network beneath the fortress, linking the main structure to outlying positions and allowing protected movement during emergencies. These underground passages reveal how defenders planned for every scenario of conflict.
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