Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo
Squat colonial cannon fort guarding a narrow bay channel, rebuilt after a British fleet destroyed its predecessor.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo in Cartagena starts at a row of pitted cannon barrels still aimed across the bay and goes back to a smaller tower, El Boqueron, that once guarded this same narrow channel. It follows British admiral Edward Vernon's arrival in 1741 with one of the largest fleets ever sent to the Americas, and the decision by Viceroy Sebastian de Eslava to rebuild on the same shattered ground with engineers Mac Evan and Desnaux. Cartagenans came to call the squat new fort Pastelillo, little pie, for its layered shape.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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