Cartagena became a popular pirate target nearly as soon as it was founded in 1533; Spanish loot stolen from South American natives was shipped back to Spain through the new port founded on the Indian village of Calamar, and French pirate Robert Baal was among the first to put it on his radar, attacking in 1544.
Another French pirate, Martin Cote, attacked in 1559, followed by English buccaneer Hawkins -- who was actually repulsed by Cartagena's new cannons -- in 1568. Francis Drake, who is most definitely not revered by South Americans as he is by the English, came to sack Cartagena in 1572, burning homes and pillaging the city's bells, among other treasures.
Baron de Pointis was the next French pirate to attack Cartagena, occupying it for over two months in 1697. After years of relative peace, the English admiral Edward Vernon came along in 1741, starting the most memorable battle fought in Cartagena.
Spain's response to the rampant pillaging was to begin fortifying Cartagena in the sixteenth century with massive walls and fortresses; Spain wanted to protect her treasure fleets as they left South America, packed with plunder, and keep open a pipeline to Peru. Construction of Cartagena's walls, which happened in three major stages, commenced in 1586 and by 1608, the parts of the city facing seaward were fortified against attack; those walls now surround the oldest part of town, called El Centro and San Diego.
In 1631, wall construction began again and within a couple of years, all of the neighborhood of Getsemani, outside El Centro, had been enclosed; most of those walls still stand. In 1721, construction resumed and in 1796, Cartagena was completely fortified. And in 1811, Cartagena declared its independence from Spain. But that's another story...
Learn more about Cartagena's colonial military history:
- Fortification Process of Cartagena
- The Story of Don Blas de Lezo - One of Cartagena's most interesting and somewhat unsung military heros is the focus of a piece well worth a read for the historical accounting of the Cartagena's battle with Admiral Vernon; Don Blas, whose statue stands today in front of he San Felipe Fortress, lost an eye, and arm, and a leg to Cartagena's defense, ultimately perishing but not before holding Cartagena against the Englishman's attacks.
Learn more about Cartagena's pirate past:
