The port city of Veracruz since its beginning played a significant role for Mexico. The Spanish conquistador Ferdinand Cortez founded this town in 1519. During the colonial period, this was the largest mercantile center, even wealthier than the capital itself. The legendary wealth attracted pirates. In order to protect the city, a large defensive fortress was erected.
Built on the island, Fort San Juan de Ulua protected not only the city, but also treasures that reached here. This was the mercantile center and the route of the wealth not only from the Mexico region, but also from the distant places like the Philippines to the west and the Spanish colonies in South America. Silk and spices from Manila, pineapple and sugarcane from the Caribbean passed through fort’s storage rooms. African slaves were brought over this way to work on the sugarcane plantations. Veracruz was Mexico’s port of entry for immigrants and all types of goods, and place from where gold and silver along with other goods was sent to Spain. In those days Panama Canal did not exist, its role in transporting of goods between the eastern and western hemispheres played the overland route between Acapulco on the Pacific coast, and Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico.
The treasures were stored in the fort until their dispatch to Europe, usually once a year. For the protection, the walls with uncommon width were needed. In some places, they are up to 30 meters thick. All that required a huge amount of construction materials. In the absence of traditional raw materials, for the construction of the fortress, coral was used. The warehouse was divided into smaller rooms, not accidentally. The size of these rooms was similar to the size of the cargo hold by Spanish galleons. Gold and silver collected here, could be easily reloaded on ships.
Over the years, the fortress had various functions, becoming a prison, and even the presidential palace. For Mexicans, San Juan de Ulua is a symbol of defense against the invaders. It is also the last place where the Spanish troops stayed for four more years after Mexico gained its independence.
