Date published: 1983-01-01
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The Castillo Years (ID301)Author: Waterbury, Jean Parker (ID185)
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Published in: 1983 The Oldest City: St. Augustine Saga of Survival
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Content id: 3995
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1738-01-01 - 1738-12-31
Castillo modernized
Castillo modernized (Engineer Pedro Ruiz de Olano more vaults and the watchtower) (Source lost)
The St. Augustine defenses were reviewed in 1736 by two engineers from Havana: Antonio de Arredondo and his assistant, Pedro Ruiz de Olano. They gave Governor Manuel de Montiano plans for a modernization of the Castillo and the walls around the city. Arrendondo may be credited with giving the island across the Bridge of Lions its name: Anastasia Island. It was named after Saint Anastasia. Ruiz de Olano in 1738 began the work on the Castillo. (Source lost)
Guemes found soldiers, provisions and evn hard cash for St. Augustine, along with a work force of convicts; all were put to use at once on their arrival in the spring of 1738. A major enterprise was the construction of bombproofs, great coquina vaults which would line the four sides of the castillo’s courtyard behind the thick walls. It took a year, from October to October, before the first eight, along the important east curtain, were completed. After Moore’s 1702 siege, earthwork defense lines had been built across the St. Augustine peninsula to bar an enemy approach to the town by land. In the years since the siege other earthworks were raised. Now th whole town was protected on this land side by walls and these barriers were further strengthened in hectic preparation for a confrontation with the British. (Source lost)
Cross references
No cross references.