Monday, 21 March 2011 08:11
Remainder of the City Wall
Since the beginning of time, cities and villages have been surrounded by high, thick walls for defense. Havana´s San Cristóbal village was no exception. Dating as far back as 1558, the Spanish crown began considering the idea of a protective wall around the city due to the Frenchman Jacques de Sores´s ravages and pirate attacks.
In addition to the wall, also fortresses were also built, for an entire integrated defense system.
More than a century ago, in 1674, they began the construction that lasted for 123 years until 1797 (not all historians however agree with this date, and say it was finished by 1740.) The ashlar walls are ten meters high and 1.4 meters in width; more than 3,000 men guarded the area with some 180 artillery pieces. To facilitate residents and goods moving around, the walls were equipped with nine gates open from 4:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and at 9:00 p.m., a canon was fired as a warning, which still takes place to this day. And with these parapets, approximately 130 hectares were supposedly protected.
The walled section was completely ineffective, as they were never attacked. However, in 1762, the crafty British entered the city by way of a then defenseless Cabaña-area ridge in order to occupy the San Cristóbal village.
Today, what´s left of La Muralla, The Wall, can be visited on the old street Egido, extremely close to the Ferrocarriles Central Terminal. Also, in Egido y Teniente Rey and Misiones Avenue, close to the old Presidential Palace.
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