The Castillo de San Marcos was built from 1672 – 1687. It was designed by Ignascio Daza and it was “patterned after the latest fortifications in Europe, with thicker walls and other devices to protect against a relatively new military weapon-the cannon. The walls are coquina, or shell-limestone, which absorbs cannon balls rather than shattering like other stone.” (Framing America) The walls stand high at 25 feet and the base of the walls are 12 feet thick, but narrow towards the top to 7 feet thick. Daza used coquina because this was the only substance that was found on Florida’s sandy beaches. Daza did not realize that this material would actually protect the fort and people during battle. During battle the cannon balls would strike the walls and either, bounce off the walls or be absorbed by the walls, only making the walls stronger.
The Castillo de San Marcos was the first permanent European settlement to be built in the United States. “A spectacular example of Spanish colonial architecture, the
Castillo is the largest fort ever constructed by Spain in North America.” (Explore) Daza used the bastion system, which eliminated blind spots and allowed for gunfire
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It is built with a flat roof as many of Spain’s early architecture, which was not much different from the Pueblo Indians. “The primary building material used by the Pueblo Indians, was adobe, a mixture of clay, sand, and water, which dried into a solid and extremely effective insulating material.” (Lecture) The Pueblo Indians used adobe blocks to build their structures; whereas, Daza used coquina. However, the style of the architecture is very similar. “The Pueblo and the Spanish cultures shared and adapted construction techniques and design.” (New Mexico Art Museum) Below is an image of a building in Taos Pueblo and Castillo de San Marcos. You can see similarities of this structure and the Castillo de San