Weekend-Engagement [Week 241]: Castle of the Royal Force 🏰

Hello Hive!

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Today I join with much enthusiasm the weekly challenge proposed by the Weekend Experiences community, the theme that caught my attention tje most this week was the first one, as I have always liked to visit museums and historical places.

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What's the most interesting historical place you've visited? Explain and use your own photos.

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For this occasion, I have decided to share my experience in a fascinating place that I had the privilege of visiting a few years ago: the Castle of the Royal Force, a place full of history and charm in the heart of Old Havana. This fortress, built in the 16th century to protect the city from pirate attacks, is a true testimony of Cuban history. During my visit, I had the opportunity to explore its imposing architecture, discover its role in the defense of the island and enjoy the cultural exhibits it houses. I hope you enjoy this little historical tour as much as I did!

As we got closer and closer to the castle we were able to witness and admire its imposing architecture, on the outskirts of the fortress we found real cannons that lead you to believe that you are in another stage of history, I was quite impressed by their size. How interesting to think that they were once used to defend the city. I liked that everything looked very clean and cared for.

This is me just being curious 😅

And here you can see how big the cannons are, or how short I am 😆

After marveling at the impressive architecture and the canyons we decided to enter the castle, which is entered through the bridge. I honestly felt like I was in an adventure movie and looked down in search of a crocodile 😂.

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¿What's inside the castle?

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Once inside the castle we are given a tour of its different areas in which they explain its history, plus you can enjoy the exhibits on display there. The castle is a great example of Renaissance military architecture, so you can explore its walls, bastions and moats that were built to repel attacks.

In one of the areas of the castle, there was the headquarters of the Captaincy General, which was the body in charge of the administration and defense of the island in colonial times. There we can see a model of the fortress.

The castle also houses the Navigation Museum, which exhibits a collection of objects related to Cuba's maritime history and its relationship with trade and naval defense. Here you can see model ships, antique navigational instruments, maps and other historical artifacts.

The main tower is one of the highlights of the castle. From there, you can get an excellent panoramic view of Havana and the port, which gave it a strategic advantage in times of defense. On its dome was located a weathervane called La Giraldilla, which is the oldest bronze sculpture cast in Cuba, and currently a symbol of the City of Havana. Inside the castle there is a statue of it, which is inspired by a beautiful love story, I invite you to look for it.

The castle also hosts temporary exhibits related to ceramics and other aspects of Cuban culture. It was very interesting to see these objects from colonial times, such as cutlery, plates and even military equipment.

In short, the Castle of the Royal Force is not only an important historical work, but also a cultural center that preserves and presents various aspects of Cuba's maritime and military past, and for me it was very interesting to visit it and learn about its history.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the tour 😊

<sup>- All pictures were taken with my husband's phone at that time, a Motorola E5 phone.
- Cover image and text divider created in Canva.</sup>