The Rosario Defense Line
Presidio San Agustín
The Rosario Defense LineThis earthen embankment re-creates a section of the defense wall that protected Spanish St. Augustine against attack in the 1700s. After crossing the natural moat on the outside of the wall formed by Maria Sánchez Creek (now filled), enemy soldiers faced a man-made barrier planted with sharp, dense yucca (Spanish bayonet) and prickly pear cactus. Removing soil from the creek bed to construct the earthwork deepened the moat, making the wall more challenging to scale.
Presidio San AgustínAn elaborate system of fortifications and defense walls made colonial St. Augustine one of the most formidable Spanish military centers in the Western Hemisphere. Defense walls protected the town's three landward sides. Over time the walls' hieight, width, and construction materials changed. But some portion of the defense line stood guard for more than 130 years (1704-1836).
Marker is on Cordova Street, on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
