The history of the Castillo de San Felipe

In March 1551 it was decided to fortify the defenses of Menorca, since they were very inadequate. For this, the Italian engineer Count Hugo de Cessane was commissioned to design a castle to defend the town and the port of Mahón. In 1552 the construction of the Castle of San Felipe began, and in 1556 the Flag was placed as a sign that it was already considered a military post in defense conditions.

The English managed to conquer the island in 1708 but it was not until 1714 that it came under their sovereignty. They reinforced the castle of San Felipe, always relying on the naval superiority of the squadron. For this reason, when the naval defense was lacking, Menorca could not resist the attack, since the garrison of the island required 6,000 to 10,000 men, and the English garrison only had 2,000 to 3,000. After winning the naval battle of Menorca in May 1756, at the end of June the French, under the command of Marshal Duke de Richelieu, stormed the Castle, and Menorca was conquered by France.

In 1763 the Treaty of Paris was signed, which ended the Seven Years’ War between France and England, and thus Menorca was returned to the British. In 1779, the war between England and Spain began. The Spanish attacked Menorca and the Castle and when they conquered it they demolished it, leaving only the necessary towers and batteries to respond to possible attacks. In 1798 Menorca was again conquered by the English, who rebuilt the castle of San Felipe, but in 1802 Menorca returned definitively to Spain, after the Peace of Amiens had been signed, and the English left the Island, leaving the Castle half rebuilt, which it was demolished again by order of Carlos IV in 1805, leaving only the batteries necessary for the defense of the port.

In the video, it looks like Colonel Francisco Fornals (D.E.P.), former director of the Military Museum of Menorca and a person who knew perfectly the history of the Castillo de San Felipe.