San Juan de Ulúa
19°12′33″N 96°07′53″W / 19.20917°N 96.13139°W
| Fortaleza de San Juan de Ulúa | |
|---|---|
Fortress of San Juan de Ulúa | |
| Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico | |
View of the fortress | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Fortress |
| Controlled by | Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Deteriorated |
| Website | Official website |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 19°12′33″N 96°7′53″W / 19.20917°N 96.13139°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1535 |
| Built by | Spanish Empire |
| Materials | Stone |
| Battles/wars | Spanish attempts to reconquer Mexico Mexican–American War French intervention in Mexico |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders | Francisco Luján (1568) José Coppinger (1825) Mariano Arista (1838) Juan Morales (1847) |
San Juan de Ulúa, now known as Castle of San Juan de Ulúa, is a large complex of fortresses, prisons and one former palace on an island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico overlooking the seaport of Veracruz, Mexico. Juan de Grijalva's 1518 expedition named the island. On March 30, 1519, Hernan Cortés met with Tendile and Pitalpitoque, emissaries from Moctezuma II's Aztec Empire.
It was built between 1535 and 1769. There is a local museum of the fortress, inaugurated in 1984.