| Description |
| Declared National monument. It was built to replace the former fort that the Governor of the Island had built under the orders of the Queen of Spain and which was destroyed in 1555 by the French corsair Jacques de Sores. It used to be the oldest colonial fort of the Americas, and was opened in 1577. It was the beginning of a fortification plan carried out by the Spanish crown in the Caribbean to protect the voyages of the Spanish fleet. As it underwent several changes and enlargements like La Torre del Homenaje, a watchtower, and the old post of sentinels in 1632 that was used as a pedestal of a unique symbol of the city and well known worldwide: La Giraldilla, which perhaps represents the Giraldilla de Sevilla. It is also the oldest sculpture of Cuba. Today it is the headquarters of the Museum of Artistic Ceramics which exhibits paintings of the Cuban artists Amelia Peláes, Wilfredo Lam, René Portocarrero, Rodríguez de la Cruz, and others representatives of the new generations of Cuban ceramists. |
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