In front of the Castillo San Felipe del Morro in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, lies a large open field, called the esplanade. This plain was created by the Spanish defenders and known as the Field of Fire, a battlefield where anyone attacking the castle would be shot at. English soldiers in 1598 and Dutch soldiers in 1625 attacked El Morro from this direction and many were killed.
Today it is a popular picnic spot for families and a place where children often come to fly their kites. Unfortunately, abandoned kites and kite strings litter the area and are harmful to the wildlife on land and in the waters surrounding San Juan.
Surrounding the castle is a dry moat, a key component for the defence of the castle. The fortification was designed so defenders could fire into the moat from many angles. If an attacker had made it past the intense cannon and musket fire on the plain, his chances of survival in the moat were slim.
SOURCES:
- Information signs at Castillo San Felipe del Morro
