Cartagena History

History

By Brenda Yun

Cartagena was founded by Pedro de Heredia in 1533. Within 20 years, six forts (San Fernando, San José, San Sebastián del Pastelillo, San Lorenzo, San Felipe de Barajas, and La Tenaza) were built to protect the city from invasion. Still, Cartagena experienced several sieges for two hundred years. The most notable attacks were by Sir Francis Drake in 1586, Baron de Pointis and Ducasse in 1697, and Sir Edward Vernon in 1741. This latter siege was defended by the famous one-eyed, one-armed, and one-legged hero Blas de Lezo, whose statue stands at the entrance of the San Felipe fortress. These severe attacks led to the building of the old city’s protective wall that still stands today. Cartagena declared independence from Spain in 1811. However, Bolivar used the city as a jumping-off point for his Magdalena campaign just one year later. After a heroic resistance, Cartagena was officially freed in 1821.