Fuerte de San Diego

This article is about the fort in Algeciras, Spain. For the one in Acapulco, Mexico, see Fort of San Diego.

The ruins of Fuerte de San Diego (Spanish: Fuerte de San Diego) are the remains of a castle located in Algeciras, Spain. The castle was built in 1730 following the Capture of Gibraltar in 1704.

San Diego Fort
Native name Spanish: Fuerte de San Diego
the remains today with Gibraltar in the background
Location	Algeciras, Spain
Coordinates	36.0583°N 5.4486°W / 36.0583; -5.4486
Built	1730
Spanish Cultural Heritage
Location of San Diego Fort in Province of Cádiz Show map of Province of Cádiz Fuerte de San Diego (Spain) Show map of Spain

History

The Fort of San Diego in Algeciras was a military installation built around 1730 as a result of the policy of fortification of the area near Gibraltar undertaken by the government of Spain .

A schematic of the fort

This fortification was one of the batteries in the Bay of Gibraltar created from the loss of Gibraltar in 1704 to protect the city from the possibility of a British invasion of Spain. These forts prevented British ships from taking shelter in the harbour. The fort was located in Punta del Fraile. This was an important landmark with the Fort Punta Carnero which was located north of this position.

The fort was destroyed in 1811 during Spain's alliance with the United Kingdom against Napoleon (as were) almost all the forts in the area. The tower however is just remaining.

The British destroyed the Spanish fortifications around Gibraltar in to deny their use by Napoleon's forces. The main Spanish lines were destroyed by Colonel Sir Charles Holloway on 14 February 1810 to the satisfaction o crowds who had come to see the spectacle. Following the main explosion other towers were destroyed and volunteers took away the rubble.^[1]

References

1. Musteen, Jason R (2011). Nelson's Refuge Gibraltar in the Age of Napoleon. New York: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1612510842.