Happy 350th birthday to Castillo de San Marcos

Next Sunday marks the 350th anniversary of the groundbreaking that began the building of Castillo de San Marcos. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon of Oct. 2, 1672 ( also a Sunday), Florida Gov. Manuel de Cendoya thrust a shovel into the ground to being the building of the fortification. The fort's role was to protect the capital of Spanish Florida, our city of St. Augustine from capture. Its role was also to provide shelter for the residents of St. Augustine during an attack.