Remains of the castillo (castle) of San Fernando de Omoa, Honduras. There are many ruins from the colonial period in Central America. The Spanish conquerors were often forced to build real fortresses in order to protect themselves from the repeated and courageous attacks of the Indian populations who tried, by all possible means, to defend and safeguard the integrity of their territory. These fortresses comprise a complex of buildings and were designed to be able to withstand a siege of a certain duration. They were built mainly in the vicinity of the Caribbean coastline and were also used during the 16th and 17th centuries to repel attempts by French and English pirates and freebooters to land. The latter, encouraged by their respective rulers, became more and more daring and enterprising, posing a permanent and growing threat to the possessions that the Spanish conquerors had on American soil. - 1977
