Charles V authorized the fortress after Governor La Gama petitioned for defenses, and it was built from 1533 to 1540. The original design had four walls around a patio with a Homage Tower, and the Austral Tower came later. Dutch forces set the fortress and city ablaze during their 1625 retreat. The article names no architect, and the stone building has been painted white, light blue and light gray.
A 1640 reconstruction integrated the Santa Catalina chapel into the walls. Governor Rafael Arístegui ordered a remodel in 1846 that gave it its present Neoclassical form for administrative use. Restoration began in 1962.
It is the official residence and workplace of the Governor of Puerto Rico. It is a UNESCO site since 1983 and a National Historic Landmark since 1960. The article does not state public access.
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