Juan Bautista Antonelli

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Juan Bautista Antonelli (born 1550 in Romania, died 1616 in Spain) was a military engineer from a prestigious Italian family of military engineers in the service of the Hapsburg monarchs of Austria and Spain.

San Felipe de Barajas Fortress, Cartagena, Colombia

Antonelli entered the service of Phillip II of Spain in 1570, working with his older brother on projects in Oran, Algeria and Spain. In 1581 Antonelli was commissioned by the king to build a fortress along the Straits of Magellan, to protect this vital sea lane from attacks by English privateers. The project, under the command of Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa and Diego Flores Valdez, was a complete failure, founding a short-lived settlement later named Port Famine (Puerto Hambre), without any fortifications.

Antonelli returned to Spain, ill and disillusioned. He was convinced, however, to take a second commission in 1586 to build fortifications for the city of Cartagena. Using the latest military technology of the time, he designed the city's renowned defenses, the San Felipe de Barajas Castle, the San Sebastián de Pastelillo Fort and the San Fernando Fort.

Antonelli then sailed for Panama where he recommended the abandonment of Nombre de Dios in favor of Portobelo. He then set sail for Havana. In Havana he designed the fortifications which culminate at the the fortress of El Morro. From there he returned to Spain.

El Morro Castle seen from Havana.

After several more journeys to the Caribbean, Antonelli settled in Spain, working on fortresses in Gibraltar and elsewhere. He died in 1616 after one of the most illustrious careers in military architecture in the New World.