Castillo San Cristobal
PANICd#: 1951
Castillo San Cristpbal, also known as Fort San Cristobal, is a fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was built by Spain to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan.
501 Calle Norzagaray
San Juan , PR 00907
Phone: (787) 729-6777
Open to the public: Yes
https://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm
Lat: 18.4692558
Lon: -66.117305
Database Summary:
Demographic Rank: 6
History: 2
Stories: 1
Claims: 4
Evidence: 0
Resources: 2
Retrievals: 10017
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 0
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History
History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.
Castillo San Cristpbal, also known as Fort San Cristobal, is a fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was built by Spain to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan. It is part of San Juan National Historic Site.
Castillo San Cristobal is the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World. When it was finished in 1783, it covered about 27 acres of land and basically wrapped around the city of San Juan. Entry to the city was sealed by San Cristobal's double gates. After close to one hundred years of relative peace in the area, part of the fortification (about a third) was demolished in 1897 to help ease the flow of traffic in and out of the walled city.
This fortress was built on a hill originally known as the Cerro de la Horca or the Cerro del Quemadero, which was changed to Cerro de San Cristobal in celebration of the Spanish victories ejecting English and Dutch interlopers from the island of this name in the Lesser Antilles, then forming part of the insular territorial glacis of Puerto Rico.
Castillo de San Cristobal (Fort San Cristobal) also contains cisterns, that were used for the transport of water during the ages of the Spanish Colony. They are extremely huge (30ft tall, 60ft wide and 100ft long) and were used as bomb shelters during World War II. They could be used for a future war again with some refurbishments.
Added by: sdonley on 08/04/2017
DB#:317
Source(s):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_San_Crist%C...
In 1797, a formidable British military force with more than ten thousand troops launched its third and final attack on Puerto Rico. British forces, led by Sir Ralph Abercrombie, again tried to take control of one of the most strategic locations in the New World, Puerto Rico. A powerful military outpost, key to the Spanish Empire and doorway to the riches of the Americas, Puerto Rico had been long coveted by nations for its strategic location. Against odds, the attackers were repelled by a determine force of defenders. Spanish soldiers, members of the Puerto Rican Fixed Regiment, Puerto Rican Disciplined Militias and citizens valiantly defended San Juan with the impregnable fortifications behind them.
Added by: sdonley on 08/04/2017
DB#:318
Source(s):
https://www.nps.gov/saju/learn/historyculture/the-...
Stories
Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location. This section could also contain research notes as well.
Castillo San Cristobal, a historic fort built in the 1780's in San Juan, is the largest fort built by the Spaniards, and the main setting of one of Puerto Rico's most well-known love tales; In the book Legends and Puerto Rico Traditions, written by historian, Cayetano Coll y Toste tells a story of secret love. The legend states that a young woman named Maria Dolores, whose father was the cities executioner, fell in love with a young wandering thief named Betancourt. I think you can tell where this love story is heading. Unfortunately for Maria, Betancourt was caught stealing and was executed by Maria's father. Betancourt was left hanging in the gallows, where Maria later found him. Devastated by the sight of her deceased one true love, she decided to hang herself next to him. Later that day, Maria's father came to dispose of Betancourt's body and found his beloved daughter with him. It's is said that Maria Dolores and Betancourt can be seen from time to time wandering around the area where they both met their final resting place.
Added by: sdonley on 08/04/2017 DB#: 1271
Source(s):
https://www.laconcharesort.com/blog/haunted-places...
Paranormal Claims
Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.
Claim # | Added | Added By | Claim |
2487 | 08/04/2017 | sdonley | An apparition of a man and a women have been seen wondering the grounds. |
2488 | 08/04/2017 | sdonley | Strange lights have been seen and photographed at night. |
2489 | 08/04/2017 | sdonley | Strange sounds have been heard coming from the fort after it has been closed. |
2490 | 08/04/2017 | sdonley | People have witness flashes of light coming from one of the turrets late at night, as if someone was firing a gun. |
Paranormal Evidence
Paranormal evidence is based on claims that have been reported for this location. There can be several types of evidence; however, we have grouped them based on media type for better organization. Here you will find evidence that are logs, audio, video, or photographic.
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Additional Resources
This is a collection of Internet resources for this location. This section will house links to other websites that contain information related to history, claims, investigations, or even the location's website.
Wikipedia Entry
Added: 08/04/2017 By: sdonley |
Wikipedia entry for this location. |
Wikipedia Entry
Added: 08/04/2017 By: sdonley |
Wikipedia entry for this location. |