La Fortaleza ( English: "the fortress"), also known as the ''Palacio de Santa Catalina'' (Saint Catherine's Palace), is the

official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...

and workplace of the

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. Located in the historic quarter of

Old San Juan Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...

in the capital

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

, 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 The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

. Built as a medieval fortress from 1533 to 1540 by orders of King Charles I of Spain, and remodeled to its present Neoclassical style in 1846 by orders of

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Rafael Arístegui y Vélez, it was the first fortification erected by the Spanish on

San Juan Islet San Juan Islet ( Spanish: ''Isleta de San Juan'') is a islet or small island on San Juan Bay in the Atlantic coast of northern Puerto Rico. Home to Old San Juan, it is the site of the oldest permanent European settlement in Puerto Rico (1521), ...

to defend San Juan Bay, the harbor of Old San Juan. Alongside El Morro, San Cristóbal, and other forts part of the Walls of Old San Juan, it protected strategically and militarily important

, or ''La Llave de las Indias'' (The Key to the

Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found i ...

), from invasion by competing world powers and harassment by

privateers A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

and pirates during the

Age of Sail The Age of Sail is a period in European history that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid-15th) to the mid-19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the int ...

. It was designated a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1983. Situated in the western end of

in the

historic quarter, La Fortaleza, seat of the

executive branch The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

, is about from the

Capitol of Puerto Rico The Capitol of Puerto Rico (), also known as the ''Casa de las Leyes'' (House of Laws), and most commonly referred to as the ''El Capitolio'' (The Capitol), is the Seat of government, seat of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, Legislative ...

, seat of the

legislative branch A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the authority, legal authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with th ...

, in the center of the Islet in the Puerta de Tierra historic district, and from the Supreme Court Building, seat of the

judicial branch The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

, in the eastern end of the Islet in Puerta de Tierra. La Fortaleza Puerto Rico Logo

Structure

La Fortaleza was the first defensive fortification built in the historic city of Old San Juan, originally known as ''Ciudad de Puerto Rico'' (''rich port city''), and the first of a series of military structures built to protect the city, which included the San Felipe del Morro Fortress and the San Cristóbal Fortress. The construction was authorized by

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...

as a defense against attacks from

Island Caribs The Kalinago, also called Island Caribs or simply Caribs, are an Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous people of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. They may have been related to the Kalina people, Mainland Caribs (Kalina) of South ...

and the European powers of the time. Initially, the structure consisted of four walls enclosing an interior

patio A patio (, ; ) is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a structure and is typically paved. In Australia, the term is expanded to include roofed structures such as a veranda, which provides protection from sun ...

with a circular tower known as the ''Homage Tower''. From the top of the tower, following military tradition, the governor would take fidelity oaths at critical moments to the King and Queen of Spain. Later, a second tower named the ''Austral Tower'' was constructed. During the 1640 reconstruction, a chapel named after Santa Catalina Alejandría originally standing outside the fortification's walls was integrated into the structure's walls, resulting in the alternate name of ''Palacio de Santa Catalina'' (''Saint Catherine's Palace'')''.'' The complex currently consists of a few attached buildings with formal living quarters on the second floor and private quarters on the third. It overlooks the high city walls that front the bay, and within the north perimeter of the house are sheltered gardens and a swimming pool. The exterior of the palace has featured white, light blue, and light gray paint.

History

Starting in 1529, Governor La Gama petitioned the emperor on the need to build defensive fortifications "because the island's defenseless condition caused the people to emigrate." Construction started in 1533, using stone, and concluded by 1540. Yet the fort had no guns, and Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés commented, "if it had been constructed by blind men could not have been located in a worse location." Yet the structure has served as the governor's residence since 1544. Since the 16th century, ''La Fortaleza'' has acted as the residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico, making it the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas. The mansion was remodeled in 1846 by the Spanish authorities to adapt its military origin to its new purely administrative function. ''La Fortaleza'' has been captured three times by foreign powers: * 1598, George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, attacked San Juan. * In 1625, General Boudewijn Hendricksz (Balduino Enrico) of the Netherlands invaded the city and established himself at ''La Fortaleza''. During the Dutch retreat, the fortress and the city were set ablaze. * 1898, the U.S. Navy invaded and occupied Puerto Rico, establishing a provisional government. In 1834, Colonel George Dawson Flinter described the fortress of Santa Catalina as having a chapel, stables, cistern, and an east wing with spacious apartments. According to tradition, in 1898, just before the United States invaded Puerto Rico during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, the last Spanish governor of the island, Ricardo De Ortega, struck a longcase clock in ''La Fortaleza'' with his sword, stopping the clock and marking the time at which Spain lost control over Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico La Fortaleza 3c 1937 issue

On October 30, 1950, there was an attempt by a few nationalists to enter ''La Fortaleza'' in what is known as the San Juan Nationalist revolt, intending to attack then-governor Luis Muñoz Marín. The 5-minute shootout resulted in four Nationalists dead: Domingo Hiraldo Resto, Carlos Hiraldo Resto, Manuel Torres Medina, and Raímundo Díaz Pacheco. Three of the guards of the building, among them Lorenzo Ramos, were seriously injured. On October 9, 1960, ''La Fortaleza'' was designated a United States

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

. and Teodoro Vidal, a cultural affairs official under Luis Muñoz Marín, organized renovation work on the building around this time. In 1983, ''La Fortaleza'', along with the San Juan National Historic Site, was declared a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

Trivia

''La Fortaleza'' has two towers: the Astral Tower and the Homenaje Tower (Homage Tower), which show that it was originally a military structure. The ''Homage Tower'' houses the ''Santa Catalina Chapel'', where a colorful mosaic of 95,000 pieces in honor of the Holy Trinity stands out. In 1956, when an area covered with a panel was unsealed, what could be the old kitch''en of La Fortaleza'' was discovered in the ''Austral Tower''. The paintings exhibited at ''La Fortaleza'' are on loan from the ''Institute of Puerto Rican Historical Culture'' and are changed according to the taste of the ruler of the day. Originally, ''La Fortaleza'' was painted salmon red, the characteristic color of the island's military installations of the time of Spanish colony. Its wooden doors were green and its columns were painted white with gold details. U.S. Presidents who have visited ''La Fortaleza'', include

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...

in 1931,

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

in 1948, John F. Kennedy in 1961,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

in 2011, and

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

in 2013. ''La Fortaleza'' has had 156 governors: 124 under the Spanish regime, 19 under the U.S. regime and 13 Puerto Ricans, 11 elected, one appointed by the President of the United States Jesús T. Piñero and one sworn in by the Constitution of Puerto Rico

Wanda Vázquez Garced Wanda Emilia Vázquez Garced (born July 9, 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney who served as the 188th Governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021. Prior to her tenure as governor, she served as the 19th Secretary of Justice from 2 ...

. Three flags fly over ''La Fortaleza'': the Puerto Rican flag, the American flag, and the Governor's white flag. When the white flag is not raised, it is because the governor is outside the ''Santa Catalina Palace''. The ''Hundido Garden'' was named Doña Inés Garden in honor of Doña Inés Mendoza, wife of former governor Luis Muñoz Marín, because that was her favorite spot at ''La Fortaleza'', where she lived for 16 years.

In literature

In 2011, Puerto Rican author

Giannina Braschi Giannina Braschi (born February 5, 1953) is a Puerto Rican poet, novelist, dramatist, and scholar. Her notable works include '' Empire of Dreams'' (1988), '' Yo-Yo Boing!'' (1998), '' United States of Banana'' (2011), and '' Putinoika'' (2024). ...

wrote the dramatic novel '' United States of Banana'', featuring climactic scenes of revolution at La Fortaleza.

Gallery

File:La Fortaleza, San Juan, the 4th July 1899.jpg, Front façade (east) of ''La Fortaleza'' on July 4, 1899 File:Governor's Palace and sea wall, San Juan, P.R..jpg, Side façade (north) of ''La Fortaleza'' within Old San Juan in 1903 File:San Juan - The Governor's Palace.jpg, Front façade (east) of ''La Fortaleza'' in 1908 File:Reception of the President Herbert Hoover in the Castle La Fortaleza in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1931.jpg, Reception of the U.S. President

to ''La Fortaleza'' in 1931 File:La Fortaleza, Calle Fortaleza, San Juan, San Juan Municipio, PR HABS PR,7-SAJU,7-5.tif, ''Original "Throne Room", currently Governor's Office, La Fortaleza'' in 1933. Photo by Jack E. Boucher.

Historic American Buildings Survey The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

. File:La Fortaleza, Calle Fortaleza, San Juan, San Juan Municipio, PR HABS PR,7-SAJU,7-3.tif, ''La Fortaleza'' in 1933. Photo by Jack E. Boucher.

. File:La Fortaleza Viejo San Juan.jpg, Front view of ''La Fortaleza'' File:Umbrella street Old San Juan SJU 06 2019 6300.jpg, ''Calle de la Fortaleza'' leading to the palace with a canopy of multicolored umbrellas File:Calle La Fortaleza con bandera de Puerto Rico.jpg, ''Calle de la Fortaleza'' leading to the palace with a canopy of the ''Monoestrellada'' (Monostarred) flag of Puerto Rico

References

External links

Government of Puerto Rico – Executive Mansion: Santa Catalina's Palace

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20171115101734/http://places.eyetour.com/whatToSee/san-juan/29/la-fortaleza Visiting information* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fortaleza, La La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico 1540 establishments in New Spain 1540s establishments in the Spanish West Indies 16th-century establishments in Puerto Rico Forts in Puerto Rico Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico Governors' mansions in insular areas of the United States Historic American Buildings Survey in Puerto Rico Historic house museums in Puerto Rico Houses completed in 1540 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico National Historic Landmarks in Puerto Rico National Register of Historic Places in San Juan, Puerto Rico Official residences in Puerto Rico Palaces in Puerto Rico