Castillo 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.

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.

Text adapted from “Fortín Solano” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Castillo Solano ranks #5,747 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking. Founded c. 1766, it is older than 16% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 556 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. See how Venezuela compares in the castle statistics.

View on the interactive castle map →

Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗