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3D site rendering of Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in Florida. The gently rippling, dark green Matanzas Bay runs alongside the fort to the east, and green, grassy fields fill in the rest of the areas around the fort. 

Extended Description

This description will begin with the details of the fort before moving around the bay and grassy areas, many of which include short paragraphs of text. 

The Fort

In the top right quadrant of the map, the two-story square fort sits tucked near the top right corner. Each corner flares diagonally out in a dart shape, and a square courtyard at the center of the fort is open to the sky. The walls are built with gray masonry and notched with crenelations along the outward-facing walls. A theater room and stairs are tucked into the courtyard. 

Small structures at the tips of the two farther corners of the dart-shaped projections are labeled Sentry Box to the west and Bell Tower to the east. Text near the sentry box explains, “This small tower sheltered guards during their watch.” One of the projections is labeled Bastion, and the elevated walkway between the two front bastions is the Terreplein. 

The Ravelin is a triangular structure about the same size as one of the bastions, and it sits between the two closest bastions. Text near the point reads, “Never fully completed, the ravelin shielded the entrance from attack.” One drawbridge leads from a hut-like structure labeled Entrance Station to the ravelin, and a second drawbridge connects the ravelin and the fort. 

Surrounding Area 

A star-shaped, sunken moat surrounds the fort and ravelin. Text explains, “Mostly dry, the moat had no resident alligators, but domestic animals were kept here in time of siege.” The foundations of a Covered Way creates another outline around the moat. Text reads, “Between the glacis and the moat is the covered (covert) way, where defending soldiers could move safely around the exterior.”

A pointed Water Battery juts into Matanzas Bay, to the east. Text reads, “In 1842, US Army engineers filled the east side of the moat with earth to create a battery of cannons along the water.” A hot shot furnace sits near the center of the battery and cannons line the northeast edge of the fort, aimed out over the water. 

Underwater formations south of the battery are labeled Living Seawall. Text reads, “Built in 2011, the 'living' seawall protects the historic wall and provides habitat for marine life. With today's rising water levels, this submerged structure is more important than ever.” 

Three paths cut through grassy areas surrounding the other three sides of the fort. A long plot of dirt ground, shaped like a popsicle stick, runs parallel to the northernmost path. Text there reads, “Cubo Line: After the English overran and burned St. Augustine in 1702, the Spanish built a wall around the city. Originally, the Cubo Line was an earthen bank, fronted by sharp yucca plants, that stretched from the fort half a mile west to the San Sebastian River. In 1808, the walls were upgraded to include palm logs and a 40-foot-wide moat on the north side. West of the city gate, three artillery redoubts (a type of fortification) provided additional protection.” 

The second path connects a crosswalk spanning the road, where text reads “An accessible route leads into the fort from the parking area.” The accessible route runs northward from the parking lot in the southeast to the entrance station near the ravelin.