Fort San Cristóbal is a Spanish fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was built by the Spaniards to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan.

Historical timeline

1519 - San Juan founded by Spanish settlers from Caparra.

1539 - Construction of the first fortified defenses at Fort San Felipe del Morro and La Fortaleza, with batteries aimed at the harbor entrance.

1625 - The Dutch attack and take San Juan from the land side. Construction of some form of defense for San Cristóbal Hill ordered to prevent other attacks from the land side.

1634 - A small redoubt is built on the high ground known as San Cristóbal on the northeast side of San Juan.

1765-1783 - Main period of construction of San Cristóbal as we see it today under the directions of Royal Engineers Tornis O'Daly and Juan Mestre.

1797 - Another attack on San Juan from the land side by a British invasion force of 7,000 men commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby halted at the Escambron defenses, a mile from San Cristóbal.

1855 - Mutiny by the San Cristóbal artillery brigade against the Spanish crown. The castle is held by rebels for 24 hours causing panic in the city when the cannon are turned around and aimed at the city streets.

1897 -A large segment of 18th century walls are dynamited from San Cristóbal to the docks to allow San Juan to expand.

1898 - On May 10, 1898, the first shot which marked Puerto Rico's entry into the Spanish-American War was shot at the USS Yale from Fort San Cristobal's cannon batteries. Fort San Cristóbal's gunners duel with US Navy warships during a day long bombardment May 12, 1898. Six months later Puerto Rico becomes US territory by terms of the Treaty of Paris which ends the Spanish-American War.

1942 - Still an active military base when World War I breaks out, concrete pillboxes and an underground bunker control center are added to the ancient defenses of Fort San Cristobal.

1949 - San Juan National Historic Site is established.

1961 - The US Army moves out of the forts of Old San Juan, and they become the jurisdiction of the United StatesNational Park Service, to be preserved solely as museums.

1983 - San Juan National Historic Site is declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

Fort San Cristobal- Ordóñez Canon

Castillo de San Cristóbal lies about five minutes driving distance from Fort San Felipe del Morro.

External links

• National Park Service - San Cristobal (http://www.nps.gov/saju/sancristobal.html)