Fat lad on world tour S 2 E 28 San Felipe de Barajas Fort Cartagena Colombia

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hi all here's part 28 from the second series from my "Fat lad on world tour" in this one i go to the San Felipe de Barajas Fort in Cartagena Colombia
San Felipe de Barajas Castle is a fortification located in the city of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia . Its real name is Fuerte de San Felipe de Barajas . It is located on a hill called San Lázaro and was built in 1536, and expanded in 1639 and 1657 during the Spanish viceregal era . It suffered constant sieges by the English and French , with the French commander Baron de Pointis taking the castle in mid-1697.
In 1984, UNESCO included the historic center of the city of Cartagena de Indias, the set of its fortifications and the San Felipe de Barajas castle in the list of World Heritage Sites .It is considered one of the seven wonders of Cartagena , a recognition that accredits it as one of the largest structures built in Colombian territory, after a survey conducted by the newspaper El Tiempo . It is also part of the historical and cultural heritage of Colombia, according to the Ministry of Culture .
Throughout its history, the military fortification has undergone several renovations and restorations in order to prevent its deterioration and to preserve an important monument, not only for the people of Cartagena, but also for all of Colombia. Today it serves as a tourist attraction and is the site of important events and social gatherings. On April 14, 2012, the castle was the main setting for the welcome dinner at the celebration of the VI Summit of the Americas .
The construction of the San Felipe de Barajas castle began in 1536 by Spanish soldiers and African slaves . It was built with materials typical of the time, such as cement and rock , and its geographical location (San Lázaro Hill) obeyed a military strategy, due to the excellent elevation of the land (forty meters above sea level ). Thanks to this considerable height, any enemy movement could be seen and consequently, the reaction time to any invasion attempt was maximized. The construction of the fort protected the city of Cartagena de Indias against attacks by the French commanded by de Pointis in 1697 10 and the English led by Edward Vernon . In 1741 the English chief was entrusted with the mission of attacking and destroying the city accompanied by a troop that exceeded 27,000 soldiers , along with 186 ships and 2,000 cannons , while the Spanish military Blas de Lezo (his executioner and protector of the city) defended himself alone with 3,600 men and six ships.
The building cost approximately 13,235 gold pesos and was completed in 1798, after hard work that lasted more than three decades . The fortress is located on the hill of San Lázaro, the name by which it was previously known. Unlike other buildings in the country, the castle is the only monument in Colombia declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO , due to its imposing and complete colonial architecture. Although it was built a long time ago, the batteries , the sentry boxes , the cistern , the residences and the underground tunnels that were used as shelters are still preserved . In the underground part there are also special rooms that can accommodate more than three hundred people. At least seven batteries were built: San Lázaro, Santa Bárbara, la Redención, San Carlos, los Apóstoles, la Cruz and el Hornabeque, all strategically distributed. The fort presents a classic architecture of the Spanish military era, where there are a large number of squares located in various parts of the castle and several sentry boxes that show a Renaissance style. The walls are high and extensive, there is also a large number of corridors and strategically built sites such as shelters and tunnels of more than 600 meters in length. The weight is another of the distinctive aspects of the fort, because it is found abundantly on the outside. Much of the grass has covered various sectors and areas of the castle such as the battlements and walls.