Historic St. Augustine, Florida

We spent 3 days exploring St. Augustine.  St. Augustine is America's oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement known for its Spanish colonial architecture.  The downtown streets are narrow and reflect the city's Spanish origins.  Parking is limited but there are free shuttles to and from the city center.  We purchased a 3-day trolley tour to be sure we saw everything.

First up was Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States.  Construction began in 1672 and took 23 years to complete.  The walls are made of coquina, a mixture of limestone and seashells.  It made the fort impenetrable because cannonballs would sink into the walls rather than shatter them.

Rooftop overlooking Matanzas River

My hat is goofy but it's UV SPF 50!

Close-up of ornate bronze cannon

Fort storeroom

Rooms have curved ceilings and doors

Fort drawbridge

Downtown St. Augustine has a shopping area on St. Georges St.  The streets are narrow and no traffic is allowed on them.  Tour trolleys are allowed to drive on some of the cross streets but they barely fit!  There are many unique shops and restaurants in the area.

Lunch at Pizza Time - delicious!

After walking all day it was time for ice cream!

Downtown is on the water

Across the bridge over the water is a lighthouse and beach.  We never made it there.  We spent all our time in downtown.

Historic Churches

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine was constructed over five years (1793-1797).  It has been designated a US National Historic Landmark.  It is the oldest church in Florida.  In the mid 1560's Spanish settlers built the first Cathedral.  That one was burned down by the English in 1586.  Colonists built a 2nd cathedral but is was constructed out of primarily straw and palmetto and it burned down, this time to due natural conditions.  In 1793 after several delays the current Cathedral was built.

Cathedral ceiling

Baptismal Font

Altar

Balcony

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is dedicated to the first Greek colony that came to America in 1768.  This unique shrine is covered with exquisite Byzantine style frescoes, depicting many apostles and saints of the Christian church.  Vibrant 22 karat gold leaf highlights the frescoes and adds luxurious detail to the shrine.  St. Photios Chapel is open for visitors.

The Memorial Presbyterian Church was built in 1889 by business tycoon and St. Augustine benefactor Henry Morrison Flagler and dedicated in honor of his daughter Jennie Louise Benedict, who died following complications from childbirth at sea the same year, hence the word Memorial.  The church was constructed using poured concrete mixed with crushed coquina stone.  Many of the architectural details were created with terra cotta.  Upon Flagler's death in 1913 he was interred in a marble mausoleum within the church beside his daughter and her infant, as well as his first wife.

Named after Henry Flagler is Flagler College, a small, private residential college with stunning architecture.

Although we did not have time to stop by the Fountain of Youth, we rode by on the trolley.  A point of interest is the old city wall.  It was constructed of coquina with pieces of sharp seashells sticking out.  If anyone tried climbing the wall they would get scratched by a seashell, develop an infection, and die.

 

There are many other churches, historical buildings and interesting places to see in St. Augustine but we did not have enough time to see them all.  Perhaps next time!

Now on to Sarasota, Fl for some MLB spring training baseball!