Thursday, December 8, 2016

December 09, 2016



Castillo de San Marcos


All of the artillery pieces on the Castillo’s gun deck are historical, and many have names. This particular mortar is called “Abajado” (Spanish for “crouched one”) and dates from 1807. According to an old St. Augustine Record article which expounds on the history of these pieces, Abajado was made in Seville from copper gleaned in part from Mexico and Peru. The mortar is located on the west terreplein between the bastions named San Pedro (southwest) and San Pablo (northwest).

Fountain of Youth

  
The Fountain of Youth isn’t just about flashy peacocks and soft Spanish music and tropical scenery and of course the rather kitschy “eau de vie” you can drink in the Springhouse. It's also about celebrating the Timucua Indian settlement that existed here long before any Europeans ever explored Florida’s shores. There’s a pretty sizeable reconstructed settlement which accurately portrays this ancient village. Here and there you’ll find little touches created specifically to immerse visitors into Timucuan culture, such as this owl totem and trees decorated with colored handprints. 


(c) 2015-2016 St. Augustine Fridays

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