Fortín Solano
Fortín Solano is an eighteenth-century colonial fortification overlooking Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. With the Castillo San Felipe, an earlier fort built at sea level, it formed part of a complex of fortifications designed to protect Puerto Cabello and its important harbour from naval attacks. It was constructed c. 1766 by order of Don José Solano y Bote on behalf of the King of Spain. It has been described as the last military construction built in Venezuela during the colonial era.
| Fortín Solano | |
|---|---|
| Puerto Cabello, Carabobo | |
Fortín Solano was built at the top of the Cresta de Vigía (or "lookout crest") to protect the city from naval attacks. | |
| Coordinates | 10.4625°N 68.016667°W |
| Type | Fortress |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | State government |
| Open to the public | yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | c. 1766 |
The fort has been the center of several notable events in Venezuelan history. Spanish commander Antonio Zuazola was hanged after a surprise attack by the forces of Rafael Urdaneta overthrew the royalists, giving control of the fort to the patriots. Pedro Carujo was imprisoned in the fort after attempting to kill Simón Bolívar in 1828. In 1962, the fort was the stronghold of an uprising led by several commanders in the city.
It was declared a National monument in 1965 and is located inside the San Esteban National Park, which was designed in 1987.