The Grand Defender of Las Palmas: The Enchanted Castle San Francisco

Perched atop the vibrant city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, the Castle San Francisco, often referred to as the King's Castle or the Narrow Pass Castle, was a stone and mortar marvel built in the 17th century. This towering sentinel was erected as a protective bastion, faced with the incessant assaults that the bustling city would encounter throughout the ages. The Battle that took place in 1599, led by the Dutch army under Captain Pieter van der Does, is a poignant reminder of its defensive might. With only three cannons at its disposal, the castle held out against the enemy for an astounding three days, resulting in the tragic loss of 300 Dutch soldiers. Today, the castle stands in melancholic solitude, beautifully preserved, displaying the emblem of King Felipe IV, the monarch under whose reign it was built, on its grand entrance.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons