Castillo de San Felipe de Menorca
Castillo de San Felipe is a Spanish fortress from the 16th century on the south bank of the mouth of the port of Mahón , in the municipality of Es Castell on the Balearic island of Menorca .
The castle was built in the style of a bastion to counter the periodic attacks by the Turkish squadron in the western Mediterranean, which attacked Menorca twice in just over twenty years. During the British occupation of Menorca, it served as a naval arsenal in support of the other British colony on Spanish territory.
history
In March 1551, it was decided to reinforce the defenses of Menorca, as they were very inadequate. For this, the Italian engineer Count Hugo de Cessane was commissioned to design a bastion to defend the village and the port of Mahón . Construction of the castle began in 1552, and in 1556 the flag was hoisted for the first time to signal that it was already considered a military post under defensive conditions.
In 1779 the war between England and Spain began. The Spaniards attacked Menorca and the castle and captured them. They only destroyed the towers and batteries needed to respond to possible attacks. In 1798 Menorca was re-conquered by the English, who rebuilt the castle of San Felipe. In 1802 Menorca definitely returned to Spain. The English left the island, leaving the castle half destroyed. In 1805 it was partially demolished on the orders of Carlos IV , so that only the batteries needed to defend the port remained.
Since 1998, the ruins of the Castle of San Felipe, along with the other fortifications of the port of Mahón, have been managed by the Consortium of the Military Museum of Menorca and the underground galleries have been partially restored. In 2010 some of these facilities were opened to the public.
swell
- Terrón Ponce, José Luis. «La fortaleza de San Felipe en el puerto de Mahón. Análisis arquitectónico y táctico ». Mahón, Consorcio del Museo Militar de Menorca. 2003, 235 pages.
