Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar
Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar
About Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar (Fort of San Felipe of Bacalar) is a Spanish fortress that is located in the town of Bacalar, Mexico. Construction of the fortress was completed in 1733 and was originally built to fend off attacks from pirates who sailed the coasts of Quintana Roo. These Dutch, French, and British Pirates would make their way up the canals from the Caribbean Sea to the Bacalar Lagoon and attack the local Mayan villagers.
Bacalar was originally the place of a small Mayan village before it was taken by the Spanish in 1543. The conquistadors eventually named the town Salamanca de Bacalar and used it as a strategic location for their conquest of the Americas. Bacalar Lagoon would become a popular stopping point for pirates because of its unique attributes which made it a natural safe harbor for ships. Over the years the town would be repeatedly attacked by invading pirates and eventually it was decided to build Fuerte de San Felipe de Bacalar to finally put an end to the constant threat.
The fort was designed by an Italian architect named Juan Podio, and he decided it would be shaped like a star with 4 points to represent the saints of Santa Ana, San Arturo, Santa Maria, and San Joaquin. The walls of the fort were built using locals materials like marine rocks, volcanic rocks, and limestone.
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