he Fort of San Lorenzo is a Spanish fortress located on the Caribbean coast of Panama, near the mouth of the Chagres River. The fort was built in 1595 to protect the port of Colón from pirate and English attacks.During the following centuries, the San Lorenzo fort suffered numerous attacks and sieges, including a famous attack by the English pirate Henry Morgan in 1670. Morgan, who had been authorized by the English Crown to plunder Spanish colonies, attacked the fortress of San Lorenzo and took it in spectacular fashion, taking Spanish soldiers prisoner and looting the king’s treasury.Later, the San Lorenzo fort was rebuilt and expanded, and was used as a military prison during the colonial era. During the Panamanian War of Independence in the 19th century, the fort was used as a base for Panamanian troops fighting for their independence from Colombia.Today, Fort San Lorenzo is an important historical and tourist site, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Visitors can explore the fort’s walls, visit the fort’s museum, and enjoy spectacular views of the coastline and surrounding tropical forest. In addition, St. Lawrence Fort is famous for being the location where Stanley Kramer’s 1965 film "Ship of Fools" was shot, with a cast of great actors including Vivien Leigh and Oskar Werner.
