San Carlos de la Barra Fortress facts for kids
The San Carlos de la Barra Fortress is an old fort built in the 1600s. It is a special type of fort called a star fort. This fortress was built to protect Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. It stands at the entrance to the lake, guarding the way from the sea.
The Spanish built many forts along the coast of Venezuela long ago. The San Carlos de la Barra fort is one of them. It is located on the San Carlos Peninsula in Zulia state. Workers built it in 1623 using strong limestone rocks. These rocks came from the Island of Toas. The main goal of the fort was to stop pirates from entering Lake Maracaibo. Before the fort was built, pirates often attacked and robbed the city of Maracaibo. The fortress was meant to keep the town and nearby areas safe from these pirate raids.
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History of San Carlos Fortress
Pirate Attacks on the Fort
In 1666, a French pirate named Jean David Nau El Olonés arrived. He had a fleet of 8 ships and 650 men. They sailed into the mouth of Lake Maracaibo, where the San Carlos Castle stood. The fort had 16 cannons. The pirates attacked the fort. After a battle with cannons, the pirates captured the fort in less than three hours.
In March 1669, another famous pirate, the British Henry Morgan, attacked Maracaibo. People from the town hid inside the fort. Morgan learned that he could not easily leave Lake Maracaibo because the fort blocked his way. He tried to make a deal with the Spanish. He asked for money and goods to release the people he had captured. Alonso de Espinosa, who was in charge of the castle, was offered a lot of gold, silver, and cattle. But he refused to let Morgan go easily.
The next day, Morgan came up with a clever plan to escape. At night, he pretended to attack the fort from the land. The Spanish soldiers quickly left the fort, thinking they were under attack. Some soldiers stayed behind to try and block the way back to the sea, but they failed. Morgan then sailed away. He returned to Jamaica on May 14, 1669.
The Fort in Venezuelan Independence
In 1823, the fort faced another attack. A Venezuelan navy group, led by Admiral José Prudencio Padilla, attacked and took the fort. This event was called "The Forcing of the Barra de Maracaibo." It allowed Venezuelan ships to enter the lake. They then attacked a Spanish fleet in the Battle of Lake Maracaibo. This was the last major battle in the war for Venezuela's independence.
After Venezuela became an independent country, the fort was still important. It remained a part of the country's defenses. It was involved in another battle during the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–03. The Imperial German Navy attacked the fort in what was known as the Bombardment of Fort San Carlos.
San Carlos as a Prison
The San Carlos de la Barra Fortress was also used as a prison. Famous people were held there, including the writer Eduardo López Bustamante. He wrote poetry while he was imprisoned there.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de San Carlos de la Barra para niños
