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#

[ENG]

Greetings, dear friends of Worldmappin, and welcome to my blog. Today I’m sharing an interesting tour with you—one steeped in history—a must-see destination I’d been meaning to visit for a long time. The good news is that I was finally able to fulfill this small but incredible dream. I had been to the historic district of Cumaná a couple of times, but on both occasions, the castle wasn’t open to the public. What I regretted most was how difficult it was to reach that destination, because the Castle of San Antonio de la Eminencia is located at one of the highest points in the city. It’s so high up that you feel like you’re hiking.

On those days when the visit didn’t work out, I took several photos; the view is breathtaking. Stone walls line the site, and we found xerophytic vegetation—many cacti, but also flowering plants—as well as small statues and a large building, which serves as the headquarters of the “Castillo San Antonio de la Eminencia Foundation.” All these elements make the path very appealing; they allow us to take in the beauty of the place as we climb the steep hill leading to this ancient fortress, whose construction dates back to the 17th century.

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On the very day I least expected it, right after visiting a cousin who lives near the castle, I managed to take the tour. Walking down Miramar Street, in the distance, the imposing architecture of San Antonio de la Eminencia Castle dominates the view; a sign guiding visitors invites you to come in and, of course, begin the tour. Then, at a stone guardhouse, an employee told me she wasn’t sure if the tour was open to the public, but she suggested I go ahead anyway. There are several entrances to the castle, so I didn’t miss the chance to take in the staircases that would lead me to explore this magnificent fortress built on Pan de Azúcar Hill, from where you can look out over the entire city of Cumaná.

I took the tour thanks to one of the guides who was very kind to me. The first thing we did was climb up to the area where three rooms and a tower were built. These rooms housed important figures, such as the scientist Alexander von Humboldt and the French naturalist, physician, and botanist Amado Bonpland. Nothing remains of these structures; they were destroyed in the earthquakes that struck the city. In this same area, we found the battlements—24 in total—which were small structures used to support the strategic placement of cannons, the largest of which were called culverins. San Antonio Castle has an interesting history; it was a prominent fortification built by the Spanish to protect the city from pirate attacks. Although the cannons were brought from Spain, the castle was built with coral stones brought from the Araya Peninsula in Sucre State. To construct this building, a mixture called calicanto was used, consisting of various materials such as sand, water, lime, aloe vera, blood, and animal manure.

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![1776713707971.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hylene74/245HjAMzwqfcFH44Ae9JpUm75GDX8SAs4NzS9oUn7hTbWjtcspkBvRkQJw9dJZDGUxWxu.jpg) ^{View of the city of Cumaná}

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Due to damage caused by earthquakes, the passage of time, and constant attacks, only the remains of cannons, the dungeon, and the powder magazine remain in the castle. Gunpowder was stored in the powder magazine, a space that required specific conditions to function properly; it could not be damp or hot. This magnificent fortress features four watchtowers, each topped by a lion—the symbol of the Spanish defense. The design of this imposing fortress takes the shape of a four-pointed star. Each point represents a cardinal direction, serving as a reference for orientation against enemy troops.

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^{Powder Magazine Room}

After touring the upper part of the castle, we went down to the dungeon, a gloomy place where prisoners were held. The dungeon still has its original adobe floor despite the passage of time. It was designed with very small windows, barely providing any ventilation; everything was dark, and there one lost track of time—it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night. In each section of the dungeon, a door divided the spaces, making the place even more gloomy. In every corner were cesspools, and for the most extreme conditions, there was the “prison of oblivion,” where captives died of starvation. Important figures in Venezuelan history were held captive in the dungeon, including former presidents José Antonio Páez and José Tadeo Monagas.

Today, we can see some changes from the original period and design of this fortress, such as murals depicting iconic landmarks of the city and historical artifacts. Among the artifacts are a tobacco press, a grain millstone, a dark brown cannonball that did not explode—it was used solely to break down walls upon impact—and a canno.

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^{Prison of Oblivion}

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San Antonio de la Eminencia Castle was built between 1659 and 1686. It was designated a National Historic Monument in 1965, the year it was restored after suffering severe structural damage in the 1929 earthquake. This site represents an important part of the heritage of the city of Cumaná; it is a premier tourist destination that speaks volumes about its historical identity. I loved this visit from start to finish. If you come to Cumaná, you can’t miss this iconic and wonderful tour. That’s all for my tour, my dear friends. See you next time!.

# Thank you for reading

_^{The photos are originals taken with my Xiaomi Redmi 9 phone. The editions were made with the [GridArt application](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=photoeditor.layout.collagemaker&hl=en_ZA&gl=US)}_

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#

[ESP]

Saludos estimados amigos de Worldmappin, bienvenidos a mi blog. Hoy les comparto un interesante recorrido, cargado de historia, una visita imperdible que tenía pendiente y que quería realizar desde hace mucho tiempo. La buena noticia, al fin pude cumplir este pequeño pero increíble anhelo. Había ido un par de veces al casco histórico de Cumaná, pero en ambas ocasiones la visita al Castillo no estaba abierta al público. Lo que más lamentaba era lo difícil que era llegar a ese destino, porque el Castillo de San Antonio de la Eminencia queda en uno de los puntos más altos de la ciudad. Es tan alto, que te sientes como si estuvieras haciendo senderismo.

Esos días fallidos respecto a la visita tomé varias fotografías, el panorama es impresionante, los muros de piedra bordean el lugar, encontramos vegetación xerófila, muchos cactus, pero también plantas de flores, estatuillas y un gran edificio, sede de la “Fundación Castillo San Antonio de la Eminencia.” Todos estos elementos hacen que el camino sea muy atractivo, nos permite contemplar las bellezas del lugar mientras subes por la empinada colina que te lleva a esta antigua fortaleza, cuya construcción data del siglo XVII.