La Fortaleza, (The Fortress) is the current official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. It was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the harbor of San Juan. The structure is also known as Palacio de Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina Palace). It is the oldest executive mansion in the New World. It was listed by UNESCO in 1983 as part of the World Heritage Site "La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site".
During the 1640 reconstruction, the chapel of Santa Catalina, which originally existed outside of the walls, was demolished and was integrated to the walls of the structure. This would give rise to the name of Santa Catalina's Palace.
La Fortaleza was the first defensive fortification built for the city of San Juan, and the first of a series of military structures built to protect the city which included the Fort San Felipe del Morro and the Fort San Cristóbal. The construction was authorized by Charles V as a defense against attacks from the European powers of the day and Carib Indians. Initially, the structure consisted of four walls enclosing an interior patio with a circular tower known as the Homage Tower. From the top of the tower, the governor, following military tradition, would take oaths of fidelity at critical moments to the Queen and the King of Spain. Later, a second tower named the Austral Tower was constructed.
At present, the complex consists of a few attached buildings with formal living quarters in the second floor, and private quarters in the third. It overlooks the high city walls that front the bay, and within the north perimeter of the house are sheltered gardens and a swimming pool.
the 16th century, La Fortaleza has acted as the residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico, making it the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas. [1] On November 27, 1822 the tradition of executive mansion was officialized. The fortress underwent a massive reconstruction in 1846 to change its military appearance into a palatial facade. La Fortaleza has been the residence of over 170 governors of Puerto Rico and has hosted various dignitaries, including President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy who stayed in La Fortaleza in 1961. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, King Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia of Spain are among the names of several heads of state who have stayed in La Fortaleza.
La Fortaleza has been taken twice by invaders:
Tradition holds that in 1898 just before the United States invaded Puerto Rico after the Spanish-American War, the last Spanish governor of the island, Ricardo De Ortega, struck a longcase clock with his sword in La Fortaleza; stopping the clock and marking the time at which Spain lost control over Puerto Rico.
On October 30, 1950, there was an attempt by a handful of nationalists to enter La Fortaleza in what is known as the Nationalist attack of San Juan, intending to attack then-governor Luis Muñoz Marín. The 5 minute shootout led to four Nationalists dead: Domingo Hiraldo Resto, Carlos Hiraldo Resto, Manuel Torres Medina and Raimundo Díaz Pacheco. Three of the guards of the building,among them Lorenzo Ramos, were seriously injured.
On October 9, 1960, La Fortaleza was designated a United States National Historic Landmark.66000951
In 1983, La Fortaleza along with the San Juan National Historic Site was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. [2]
On May 26, 2004 a man armed with a knife entered the mansion's mailroom located just outside the palace gates and took a receptionist hostage. The 2 1/2 hour stand-off ended after Governor Sila María Calderón entered the building and heard the hostage taker read a letter.