We walked right through Getsemini (yes, named after the hill in Jerusalem) and up to the fort that formerly protected Cartegena from and landward invasion. The town was protected from the sea side by its defensive walls, coral reef and cannons. The military engineering of the fort and it's surroundings remains impressive. Each aspect of the fort was designed with defensibility in mind. At the time (1640-1720's) Cartegena was the key to the Spanish treasure chest, a town with a lot of money in gold and jewels. The French did succeed in taking the fort and town once, the English failed miserably. Pirates, corsairs and buccaneers were constant threats.
This is the lower cistern which would fill with water during the rainy season and see the garrison through any siege. Both the City of Cartegena and the fort were designed to withstand multi day sieges. Only after more than a 6 month siege was Cartegena taken back by the Spanish after the colony declared Independence in 1811. For that, the city was awarded the moniker "Heroica".
We are discussing the range of the cannons which would have fired from the part of the fort to protect the town.
Each part of the fort could be defended or destroyed if taken, by the cannon emplacements on the apex of the hill. If the top of the fort was taken, the retreating solders would light the stores of gunpowder buried in the tunnels under the hill and blow the whole lot to smithereens. The fort was never taken after the final outer battlements were built.
This is the lower cistern which would fill with water during the rainy season and see the garrison through any siege. Both the City of Cartegena and the fort were designed to withstand multi day sieges. Only after more than a 6 month siege was Cartegena taken back by the Spanish after the colony declared Independence in 1811. For that, the city was awarded the moniker "Heroica". 
We are discussing the range of the cannons which would have fired from the part of the fort to protect the town. 
Each part of the fort could be defended or destroyed if taken, by the cannon emplacements on the apex of the hill. If the top of the fort was taken, the retreating solders would light the stores of gunpowder buried in the tunnels under the hill and blow the whole lot to smithereens. The fort was never taken after the final outer battlements were built. 
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