April 26, 2012

Fort Caroline Virtual Tour


Fort Caroline has a special place in my heart. This small National Park Service monument, a modern reconstruction of a sixteenth century citadel, may not look like much to the naked eye, but it was the site of much suffering. It is also an important place for a Protestant pilgrimage. My posts of March 05 and March 29 explain the history of Fort Caroline in depth. 

La Caroline, “Charles’ land,” so named after the king, began as a colony planted for the good of all France but became symbolically known as a Protestant haven for beleaguered Huguenots searching for religious freedom.  Fort Caroline was founded in June 1564 and destroyed by the Spanish in September 1565. The name became synonymous with lost dreams, senseless slaughter, and the faith-unto-death of these early Protestant martyrs. 

While going through my vacation odds and ends, I thought I would create a virtual tour with the Fort Caroline photos I took in March. As mentioned in my post of March 29, the fort interior was closed, but I still managed to capture various views of the walls and surrounding scenery. (Some of these photos were included in my post of March 29).

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Beautiful, snow-like Spanish moss strikes a pose near the Ribault Column.	The St. Johns River ("Riviere de Mai") can be seen from the Ribault Column.

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Ribault Column is a replica of the monument Jean Ribault erected in 1562.	At Spanish Pond, conquistadors rested before the savage attack of September 1565.

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Though I did not walk far along Spanish Pond, there was a trail through the woods.	Just beyond this "River of May" marker, I saw dolphins playing in the waves.

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Local Timucua Indians befriended the French. This is a replica Timucua village.	I especially like this close-up view I took of Fort Caroline from a nearby dock.

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The archway was the closest I got to the fort's interior, due to construction.	This side view of Fort Caroline shows how it most likely would have looked in 1565.

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This is another of my favorite photos of Fort Caroline. Note the flawless sky.	The Timucuan Ecological Preserve visitor center explains the French colony in depth.

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Ribault and other Fort Caroline personages are shown in the visitor center.	A suit of 16th century French armor shows how soldiers at Fort Caroline dressed.