page_title: San José Castle (Guatemala City)
section_title: Construction
hierarchical_section_title: San José Castle (Guatemala City) / History / Construction
caption_attribution_description: Retrato de cuerpo entero del presidente Rafael Carrera y Turcios
context_page_description: San José Castle -also known as Castillo de San José in Spanish- was opened to the public on 25 May 1846 on the «Buena Vista Hill» on the southeast of Guatemala City by general Rafael Carrera government; it was also known as «Carrera Castle». San José Fort was located where later Guatemalan administrations built a new city Hall, a National Theater and part of the Bolivar Avenue. The fort had a shooting range for the soldiers, ammunition warehouses, horses, diners and a small pond that was called "Soldier's Pond".
context_section_description: The fort was located on the south extreme of Guatemala City and was placed at least 20 m above the level of the rest of the valley, giving it a great military advantage during the 19th century, when it was built as it could cover the whole valley and the city.
  During the first invasion of Honduran general Francisco Morazán in 1829, the Buena Vista hill was used to strategically place some troops, which eventually helped for the defeat of the Guatemalan Army and in the expulsion of the regular clergy and the conservative part conformed by the Aycinena family. and the imposition of the liberal regime led by Dr.Mariano Gálvez in the Central American State of Guatemala.  After the events that led Rafael Carrera to power in 1839 and after the failed second invasion of Morazán in 1840, general Carrera considered of the utmost importance to protect Guatemala City building a series of fortresses around it; San José Fort was the first one built.
  In 1843, Carrera appointed the city builder José María Cervantes to design and build a fort on the Buena Vista hill. Construction took about three years, and it was done as fast as possible due to the constant revolts in the country, like the ones of the Lucios and of the Cruz brothers in eastern Guatemala. Originally, the fort had a bridge, it was surrounded by water and had impressive protective walls.
  Carrera opened the fort on 25 May 1846, with a mass in the old El Calvario church, which used to be close by the fort; a procession of the Virgin of Santa Barbabra left the church and ended at the Fort wall, where it was blessed and remained during the time the fort was active. A year later, San José fort was already the most important ammunition warehouse in Guatemala.
caption: Captain General Rafael Carrera, president for life of Guatemala.  He had the fort built in 1846.
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