The Castle of Sancti Petri ( Castilian: ''Piedras Santas'') is a stronghold located in

San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...

Province of Cádiz Cádiz is a Provinces of Spain, province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is the southernmost part of mainland Spain, as well as the southernmost part of conti ...

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

, southwestern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Situated on the little island of Sancti Petri, the defensive fortification was once one of a series of forts that protected the inlet,

Caño de Sancti Petri Caño de Sancti Petri is a shallow Channel (geography), channel in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, southwestern Spain. Narrow and winding, it is situated between Isla de León and the mainland, and is part of the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park. ...

. Of irregular shape and in the Moorish style, it dates from the 13th century. During the 1st century, the

Phoenicians Phoenicia () was an ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient thalassocracy, thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-st ...

settled on the island, founding a temple dedicated to

Melqart Melqart (also Melkarth or Melicarthus) was the tutelary god of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre and a major deity in the Phoenician and Punic pantheons. Often titled the "Lord of Tyre" (''Ba‘al Ṣūr''), he was also known as the Son of ...

, their god, . When the Romans arrived they dedicated the temple to

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

. The castle's watchtower is the oldest building, while the walls and the interior date from the 18th century. The castle was in an advanced state of deterioration, but the authorities of the municipalities of San Fernando and

Chiclana de la Frontera Chiclana de la Frontera () is a town and municipality in southwestern Spain, in the province of Cádiz, Andalucía, near the Gulf of Cádiz. It belongs to the association of municipalities of the Bay of Cádiz (Bahía de Cádiz), the provincial c ...

funded a major rehabilitation programme. It was declared a Cultural Monument by Decree of April 22, 1949, and Law 16/1985, as a Spanish Historical Heritage landmark. In 1993, the Andalusian authorities gave it special recognition amongst the castles of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia."Recuperación del Castillo de Sancti-Petri"
Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Retrieved 17 January 2013.

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century Castles in Andalusia Moorish architecture in Spain Buildings and structures in San Fernando, Cádiz