Cartagena, Old Town, Fortress

Shortly after Cartagena's founding, the Spanish crown encouraged expeditions inland through Nueva Granada and into what is now Peru. Cartagena became the port of entry, thus facilitating the colonization of the northwestern portion of the continent. As trade developed under the monopoly of the Spanish Crown, so did Cartagena. It was at this point that the Holy See established its footing in South America and Cartagena found itself with a full complement of Catholic orders.

By 1610 the Crown instituted the Inquisition Court in Cartagena, with jurisdiction over an extended territory including the new Reino de Granada, Panama, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. On the other hand, funds donated by the prosperous civil population helped to establish such religious institutions as convents, churches, schools, and hospitals.

Due to its economic importance as a trade center, and to the amount of rich cargo that could be found waiting for export at almost any time, Cartagena became a favorite target for pirates. As a result, before the city had a respectable cathedral, it had fortress walls. Originally they were rudimentary barricades of whatever material was at hand. They assumed their present form of bricks, stone, and mortar much later, in the eighteenth century. There is no doubt that Cartagena was established from the beginning as a military undertaking.

Neither the walls nor the strategic location of Cartagena would suffice to keep looters from venturing into the city. The first successful attempt took place in I543, only a decade after the city's rounding by a French pirate, Robert Baal and 450 of is men. Less than two decades later, two French pirates carried out the second attack in 1559.

he first successful defense took place nine years after, in 1568. Sir John Hawkins, a British nobleman, famous slave trader, and enemy of the Spanish Crown, approached Cartagena with the ruse of bringing slaves and goods to be traded in the colonies. The Governor, . ho did not believe the story, refused his entry and the city suffered eight days of bombardment and blockade before the English pirate gave up and left.

The English explorer Sir Francis Drake laid siege to Cartagena in 1586 and, after its fall, installed himself the house of the Governors. For over one hundred days Drake held the city for ransom. Not until he was paid 107,0~0 pieces of gold did he agree to return the city to its Governors. Today he is remembered in Colombia not only as a pirate and looter, but as the vandal of the Cathedral which had finally taken shape in stone.

The most infamous looter was the Baron of Pointis who came by order of the King of France to wrest Cartagena from the Spanish. In 1697, with the aid of a rate named Ducasse and knowledge of the locations the many forts and battlements spread around the bay, he attacked with an army of more than 4,000 strong. These troops were made up of French arm mercenaries from the islands of Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and former slave cane cutter. Aware of the riches of Cartagena the mercenaries wanted a quarter of the booty.

After innumerable successful skirmishes won by the "French" attackers, the Governor don Diego de los Rios y Quesada decided to negotiate a settlement whereby he and those so inclined would be allowed depart with some of their wealth. After their departure, those who remained were to become the subjects of the invaders.

Unfortunately for the French among the forces, the Black Fever proved a more formidable opponent than the Cartageneros and they were forced to depart with the loot after the onset of an epidemic. Immune to the disease, the Caribbean mercenaries were left behind and, feeling cheated of their share, robbed the city of its little remaining treasure. Only upon hearing that British Admiral Neville was on his way to rescue, did the mercenaries themselves depart.

In 1740, a year after Britain had declared war again Spain, Admiral Edward Vernon of Jamaica was ordered to take Cartagena. He made two attempts but it was not until his third that he was able to overcome the defenses and land his men.

With 180 ships and over 23,000 men, Vernon was unable to defeat don Blas de Lezo, a retired, one-eye-one-legged and one-armed Commander with a force only 3,000 men. In England, unaware of the actual events, coins showing the defeat of Cartegena by Vernon were minted. He was, in fact, retreating to Jamaica, having suffered a humiliating defeat with a tremendous loss of men and ships, and only a few destroyed forts and castles to his glory.

One of Cartagena's last and most difficult battles was that for independence. The Nueva Granada -what is now Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Bolivia- declared its independence in 1810. By 18 Cartagena was fighting furiously for its own freedom when the city was finally liberated from the Crown the Republicans in 1821, all the riches and wealth were lost and the city (formerly prosperous with a population of 20,000), was reduced to 6,000 inhabitants and left in ruins. Prominent Cartageneros and clergy orders, which were the major means of sustenance of Cartagena either fled or were forced to abandon the city.