La Fortaleza (The Fortress) - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 18° 27.839 W 066° 07.239
19Q E 804111 N 2043941
La Fortaleza (The Fortress) is the official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico.
Waymark Code: WMBP60
Location: Puerto Rico
Date Posted: 06/08/2011
Views: 25
La Fortaleza (The Fortress) is the 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's 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".
In 1640 the chapel of Santa Catalina was demolished and integrated into the walls of the structure, resulting in the alternate name 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 to the west and the Fort San Cristóbal to the north.
The complex consists of attached buildings with living quarters on the second floor, and private quarters in the third. It overlooks San Juan Bay and the walled city of Old San Juan.
note: The vantage point for the stamp - Scott #801 is from San Juan Bay. My photograph was taken from the cruise ship Norwegian Jewel as it was entering the port to match the stamp as closely as possible.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 11/25/1937
Denomination: 3 cents
Color: Bright Violet
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log for this category, you must visit the actual site of the waymark. Post at least one photo that you personally took of the site if at all possible. If you cannot provide a photo for some reason, your visit will still be welcome.
You do NOT need to be a stamp collector to visit the waymark site, nor do you have to provide a photo of the stamp. Just having a copy of the stamp in question, however, is not sufficient; you must personally visit the site.