San Sebastián Fortress, Cádiz, Spain

San Sebastián is a fortress located in Cádiz, at the end of La Caleta beach on a small island separated from the main city.

According to the classical tradition of the location of the fortress, there was a Temple of Kronos, a Titan of the Greek gods, the father of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera. In 1457, a chapel on the island was raised by a Venetian boat crew recovering from the plague. In 1706, a castle was constructed, which resulted in a fortified enclosure of an irregular plane. It defended the northern flank of the city from attack. At the base of the lighthouse was a watchtower from the Muslim period. The lighthouse has an iron structure designed by Rafael de la Cerda in 1908 and is the second electric powered lighthouse in Spain. The tower rises to 41 meters above the sea.

In 1811 the Maltese navy arrived with the famous POW/rebel Junta of Buenos Aires, Juan Bautista Azopardo. He was housed in the fortress until 1815, when they suspected a leak and transferred him to the military prison in Ceuta.

In 1860, a levee was built to serve as a link between the island and the city. On June 25 of 1985, Castillo de San Sebastian was declared a cultural landmark.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Spain

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Igor Fabjan (2 years ago)
Attractive photo oportunity and well worth walk

Li Zhang (3 years ago)
Very nice and old fortress but too bad it's not open.

PRZEMYSLAW B (3 years ago)
Good place for walk, however the gate was closed.

Brian Thompson (3 years ago)
please let me in I know it isn’t nearly as old as the teatro romano down the beach but it’s still one of the oldest things I’ve ever seen so please let me in so I can admire the age

Mark Parker (4 years ago)
Currently closed but a nice walk to the gates.

San Sebastián Fortress

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Church of St Donatus