LA FUERZA. 
Opposite the Plaza de Armas on O’Reilly street, is the ancient Spanish 
fortress, La Fuerza, a cherished relic of the city’s remote past. It was 
begun in the year 1538, and antedates Morro Castle by fifty years. The his¬ 
tory of La Fuerza goes back to the time of Hernando de Soto, when the 
Spaniard had but precarious foothold in Cuba, and the infant town was at 
the mercy of sea rovers and freebooters. The building of the stronghold 
was prompted by a pillaging of the town by French pirates. Ogilby 
relates the incident: 
“But Havana was not so strongly fortified in former times, for Anno 
1536 it could not resist a mean French Pyrate, who, losing the rest of his 
Fleet, was driven hither by storm, and conquering Havana, had burnt the 
same, consisting at that time of wooden houses covered with thatch, had 
not the Spaniards redeemed them from the fire for seven hundred Ducats; 
with which money the French set sail, when the day following three ships 
arrived from New Spain before Havana, and having unladen their goods, 
and preparing themselves for battle, pursued the Pyrate; who getting 
sight of the Admiral, who sailed before, durst not venture to engage him 
alone, but staid for the other two ships : from which cowardly action the 
French Pyrate taking courage, fell on the Spanish Admiral, who without 
firing a gun ran his ship ashore, and deserted the same; the next one 
thereby discouraged, tacking about, made away from the enemy; on which 
the third also followed, insomuch that at last they were all three taken by 
the French; who encouraged with this unexpected victory steered their 
course a second time to Havana, where they got as much more money 
from the inhabitants as before.” 
32 
