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==History==
==History==
[[File:Henry Morgan's attack on the Castillo de San Jeronimo, Porto Bello, 1669.jpg|thumb|An illustration of [[Henry Morgan]]'s attack on the Castillo de San Jerónimo, Porto Bello in 1669]]
Portobelo was [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|founded]] in 1597 by Spanish explorer Francisco Velarde y Mercado<ref name="Fish2011">{{cite book |author=Shirley Fish |title=The Manila-Acapulco Galleons: The Treasure Ships of the Pacific with an Annotated List of the Transpacific Galleons 1565-1815 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kk_iU0f-iT8C&pg=PA45 |access-date=18 July 2011 |date=17 May 2011 |publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=978-1-4567-7542-1 |pages=45–}}</ref> and quickly replaced [[Nombre de Dios, Colón|Nombre de Dios]] as a Caribbean port for Peruvian silver.  Legend has it that [[Christopher Columbus]] originally named the port "Puerto Bello", meaning "Beautiful Port", in 1502.<ref name="Katzman2006">{{cite book |author=Patricia Katzman |title=Panama |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i94Ea2E97jAC&pg=PA136 |access-date=18 July 2011 |date=10 February 2006 |publisher=Hunter Publishing, Inc |isbn=978-1-58843-529-3 |pages=136–}}</ref>  After [[Francis Drake]] died of [[dysentery]] in 1596 at sea, he was buried at sea in a lead coffin near Portobelo Bay, memorialised by the present ''Isla Drake'' ("Drake Island") at the mouth of the harbour. During the 16th to the 18th centuries it was an important silver-exporting port in [[Viceroyalty of New Granada|New Granada]] on the [[Spanish Main]] and one of the two Atlantic ports on the route of the [[Spanish treasure fleet]]s. The Spanish built defensive fortifications.


In 1601 the English [[privateer]] [[William Parker (privateer)|William Parker]] [[Capture of Portobello (1601)|captured Portobello]] from the Spanish. Welshman [[Henry Morgan]] repeated the feat in 1668, having led a fleet of privateers and 450 men and [[Henry Morgan's raid on Porto Bello|overcame its strong fortifications]]. His forces plundered it for 14 days before withdrawing. It was captured again in 1680 by pirate [[John Coxon (pirate)|John Coxon]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rogoziński |first1=Jan |title=The Wordsworth dictionary of pirates |date=1997 |publisher=Wordsworth Reference |location=Ware |isbn=1-85326-384-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/wordsworthdictio00rogo/page/266 266] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/wordsworthdictio00rogo/page/266}}</ref>
Portobelo was [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|founded]] in 1597 by Spanish explorer [[Francisco Velarde y Mercad]]o<ref name="Fish2011">{{cite book |author=Shirley Fish |title=The Manila-Acapulco Galleons: The Treasure Ships of the Pacific with an Annotated List of the Transpacific Galleons 1565-1815 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kk_iU0f-iT8C&pg=PA45 |access-date=18 July 2011 |date=17 May 2011 |publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=978-1-4567-7542-1 |pages=45–}}</ref> and quickly replaced [[Nombre de Dios, Colón|Nombre de Dios]] as the major local port for Peruvian silver. Legend has it that [[Christopher Columbus]] originally named the port "Puerto Bello", meaning "Beautiful Port", in 1502.<ref name="Katzman2006">{{cite book |author=Patricia Katzman |title=Panama |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i94Ea2E97jAC&pg=PA136 |access-date=18 July 2011 |date=10 February 2006 |publisher=Hunter Publishing, Inc |isbn=978-1-58843-529-3 |pages=136–}}</ref> After the English [[privateer]] [[Francis Drake]] died of [[dysentery]] in 1596, he was buried at sea in a lead coffin off Portobelo, memorialised by the present ''Isla Drake'' ("Drake Island") at the mouth of the harbour. During the 16th to the 18th centuries it was an important silver-exporting port in [[Viceroyalty of New Granada|New Granada]] on the [[Spanish Main]] and one of the two Atlantic ports on the route of the [[Spanish treasure fleet]]. The Spanish built defensive fortifications at Portobelo to protect it from attacks by other European powers. In 1601, English privateers led by [[William Parker (privateer)|William Parker]] [[Capture of Portobello (1601)|captured Portobelo]] from the Spanish. The Welsh privateer [[Henry Morgan]] repeated the feat in 1668, having led a force of 450 privateers and [[Henry Morgan's raid on Porto Bello|overcame its strong fortifications]]. His forces plundered it for 14 days before withdrawing. It was captured again in 1680 by the English pirate [[John Coxon (pirate)|John Coxon]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rogoziński |first1=Jan |title=The Wordsworth dictionary of pirates |date=1997 |publisher=Wordsworth Reference |location=Ware |isbn=1-85326-384-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/wordsworthdictio00rogo/page/266 266] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/wordsworthdictio00rogo/page/266}}</ref>


[[File:Portobello&Bastimentos CentralAmerica 1771Map.png|thumb|1771 map showing position of Bastimentos Island between Porto Bello and the former harbour of [[Nombre de Dios, Colón|Nombre de Dios]]]]
[[File:Henry Morgan's attack on the Castillo de San Jeronimo, Porto Bello, 1669.jpg|thumb|left|upright|An illustration of [[Henry Morgan]]'s attack on the Castillo de San Jerónimo, Porto Bello in 1669]]


In 1726 the British suffered a disaster in their [[Blockade of Porto Bello]] under Admiral [[Francis Hosier]], an attempt to prevent the Spanish treasure fleet returning to Spain, when due to their lengthy wait and inactivity (as ordered by the British government) moored at [[Bastimentos, Portobelo|Bastimentos]] {{cvt|11|km}} to the northeast (not to be confused with another [[Bastimentos Island]] 270 miles to the west), the large part of the sailors died from tropical diseases. The disaster was vindicated 13 years later when during the [[War of Jenkins' Ear]] the port was attacked and captured on November 21, 1739, by a British fleet of six ships commanded by Admiral [[Edward Vernon]]. The victory created an outburst of popular acclaim throughout the British Empire. More medals were struck for Vernon than for any other 18th-century British figure and across the [[British Isles]] the name of "Portobello" was given to places and streets in honor of the victory, most notably [[Portobello Road]] in London, the district of [[Portobello, Edinburgh|Portobello]] in Edinburgh and the [[Cathal Brugha Barracks|Portobello Barracks]] in Dublin.<ref name="Simms2008">{{cite book |author=Brendan Simms |title=Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire, 1714-1783 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=izhwqC3W23UC |access-date=18 July 2011 |date=8 December 2008 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-465-01332-6 |page=276}}</ref>
In 1726, the [[Royal Navy]] initiated a [[blockade of Porto Bello]] under [[Admiral (Royal Navy)|Admiral]] [[Francis Hosier]] in an attempt to prevent the Spanish treasure fleet returning to Spain. Hosier's fleet spent an extended period of time moored at [[Bastimentos, Portobelo|Bastimentos]] {{cvt|11|km}} to the northeast, during which time Hosier and many of his fleet's sailors died from tropical diseases. 13 years later, the port [[Battle of Porto Bello (1739)|was captured]] on 21 November 1739 by a British squadron under Admiral [[Edward Vernon]] during the [[War of Jenkins' Ear]]. The victory created an outburst of popular acclaim throughout the British Empire. More medals were struck for Vernon than for any other 18th-century British figure and across the [[British Isles]] the name of "Portobello" was given to places and streets in honor of the victory, most notably [[Portobello Road]] in London, the district of [[Portobello, Edinburgh|Portobello]] in Edinburgh and the [[Cathal Brugha Barracks|Portobello Barracks]] in Dublin.<ref name="Simms2008">{{cite book |author=Brendan Simms |title=Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire, 1714-1783 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=izhwqC3W23UC |access-date=18 July 2011 |date=8 December 2008 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-465-01332-6 |page=276}}</ref>


However the Spanish soon recovered Portobelo when in 1741 they defeated Admiral Vernon in the [[Battle of Cartagena de Indias]] and forced him to return to England with a decimated fleet, having suffered more than 18,000 casualties, mostly due to disease.<ref>Duncan, Francis. ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery'', London, 1879, Vol.1, p.123, Quote:"...so reduced was this force in two years by disaster and disease, that not a tenth part returned to England...'thus ended in shame, disappointment, and loss, the most important, most expensive, and best concerted expedition that Great Britain was ever engaged in'...".</ref> British efforts to gain a foothold on the [[Spanish Main]] and disrupt the galleon trade were ultimately fruitless. Following the War of Jenkins' Ear, the Spanish switched from using large fleets calling at few ports to small fleets trading at a wide variety of ports, developing a flexibility that made them less subject to attack. Ships{{citation needed|date=October 2020|reason=whose ships?}} also began to travel around [[Cape Horn]] to trade directly at ports on the western coast.
The Spanish eventually recovered Portobelo in 1741 after their victory at the [[Battle of Cartagena de Indias]].<ref>Duncan, Francis. ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery'', London, 1879, Vol.1, p.123, Quote:"...so reduced was this force in two years by disaster and disease, that not a tenth part returned to England...'thus ended in shame, disappointment, and loss, the most important, most expensive, and best concerted expedition that Great Britain was ever engaged in'...".</ref> British efforts to gain a foothold on the Spanish Main and disrupt the galleon trade were ultimately fruitless. Following the War of Jenkins' Ear, the Spanish switched from using large fleets calling at few ports to small fleets trading at a wide variety of ports, developing a flexibility that made them less subject to attack. Ships{{citation needed|date=October 2020|reason=whose ships?}} also began to travel around [[Cape Horn]] to trade directly at ports on the western coast.


==Today==
==Today==
[[File:Town of Portobelo.jpg|thumb|View of the fort, the Aduana building, and the church]]
[[File:Town of Portobelo.jpg|thumb|View of the fort, the Aduana building, and the church]]
The population of Portobelo in 1990 was 3,058 and in 2000 was 3,867.<ref name=inec/> In July 2012 the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Committee]] placed Portobelo and nearby [[Fort San Lorenzo]] on the [[List of World Heritage in Danger]], inscribed as [[Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo]], citing environmental factors, lack of maintenance, and uncontrolled urban developments.<ref>[http://globalheritagefund.org/onthewire/blog/panamanian_fortifications Panamanian Fortifications Added to UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408124318/http://globalheritagefund.org/onthewire/blog/panamanian_fortifications |date=2015-04-08 }}, Global Heritage Fund blog article</ref>
The population of Portobelo in 1990 was 3,058 and in 2000 was 3,867.<ref name=inec/> In July 2012 the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Committee]] placed Portobelo and nearby [[Fort San Lorenzo]] on the [[List of World Heritage in Danger]], inscribed as [[Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo]], citing environmental factors, lack of maintenance, and uncontrolled urban developments.<ref>[http://globalheritagefund.org/onthewire/blog/panamanian_fortifications Panamanian Fortifications Added to UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408124318/http://globalheritagefund.org/onthewire/blog/panamanian_fortifications |date=2015-04-08 }}, Global Heritage Fund blog article</ref>
{{Clear}}


In London the [[Portobello Road]] is a famous street market, dating back to the 19th century with millions of visitors each year.
In London the [[Portobello Road]] is a famous street market, dating back to the 19th century with millions of visitors each year.
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Portobelo, Colón}}
{{wikivoyage|Portobelo}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170915091754/http://portobelo.org/ 2009 Festival de Diablos y Congos (in Spanish)], Portobelo
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170915091754/http://portobelo.org/ 2009 Festival de Diablos y Congos (in Spanish)], Portobelo
*[http://www.pieldetigre.com/search?updated-max=2009-06-17T10%3A01%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=6 Devils' Dance celebration in Portobelo, Santiago and La Villa de Los Santos (in Spanish)]
*[http://www.pieldetigre.com/search?updated-max=2009-06-17T10%3A01%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=6 Devils' Dance celebration in Portobelo, Santiago and La Villa de Los Santos (in Spanish)]
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{{Colón Province}}
{{Colón Province}}
{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


Latest revision as of 21:00, 8 September 2025

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Portobelo (Modern Spanish: "Puerto Bello" ("beautiful port"), historically in Portuguese: Porto Belo) is a historic port and corregimiento in Portobelo District, Colón Province, Panama. Located on the northern part of the Isthmus of Panama, it is Template:Cvt northeast of the modern port of Colón now at the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It has a population of 4,559 since 2010Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".,[1] and functions as the seat of Portobelo District.[1]

Established in 1597 for its deep natural harbor, it joined Veracruz (Template:Cvt to the northwest) as ports used by the Spanish Empire to ship treasure from the mines of Peru (via Panama City on the Pacific side of the Isthmus and overland to Portobelo) back to Spain. The city was repeatedly captured by British privateers and pirates, culminating in a successful siege by the Royal Navy in 1739, during the War of Jenkins' Ear.

Its economy received a major boost in the late-19th century during the construction of the Panama Canal. In 1980, UNESCO designated the Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo, including the ruins of the Spanish colonial fortifications and nearby Fort San Lorenzo, as a World Heritage Site.

History

Portobelo was founded in 1597 by Spanish explorer Francisco Velarde y Mercado[2] and quickly replaced Nombre de Dios as the major local port for Peruvian silver. Legend has it that Christopher Columbus originally named the port "Puerto Bello", meaning "Beautiful Port", in 1502.[3] After the English privateer Francis Drake died of dysentery in 1596, he was buried at sea in a lead coffin off Portobelo, memorialised by the present Isla Drake ("Drake Island") at the mouth of the harbour. During the 16th to the 18th centuries it was an important silver-exporting port in New Granada on the Spanish Main and one of the two Atlantic ports on the route of the Spanish treasure fleet. The Spanish built defensive fortifications at Portobelo to protect it from attacks by other European powers. In 1601, English privateers led by William Parker captured Portobelo from the Spanish. The Welsh privateer Henry Morgan repeated the feat in 1668, having led a force of 450 privateers and overcame its strong fortifications. His forces plundered it for 14 days before withdrawing. It was captured again in 1680 by the English pirate John Coxon.[4]

File:Henry Morgan's attack on the Castillo de San Jeronimo, Porto Bello, 1669.jpg
An illustration of Henry Morgan's attack on the Castillo de San Jerónimo, Porto Bello in 1669

In 1726, the Royal Navy initiated a blockade of Porto Bello under Admiral Francis Hosier in an attempt to prevent the Spanish treasure fleet returning to Spain. Hosier's fleet spent an extended period of time moored at Bastimentos Template:Cvt to the northeast, during which time Hosier and many of his fleet's sailors died from tropical diseases. 13 years later, the port was captured on 21 November 1739 by a British squadron under Admiral Edward Vernon during the War of Jenkins' Ear. The victory created an outburst of popular acclaim throughout the British Empire. More medals were struck for Vernon than for any other 18th-century British figure and across the British Isles the name of "Portobello" was given to places and streets in honor of the victory, most notably Portobello Road in London, the district of Portobello in Edinburgh and the Portobello Barracks in Dublin.[5]

The Spanish eventually recovered Portobelo in 1741 after their victory at the Battle of Cartagena de Indias.[6] British efforts to gain a foothold on the Spanish Main and disrupt the galleon trade were ultimately fruitless. Following the War of Jenkins' Ear, the Spanish switched from using large fleets calling at few ports to small fleets trading at a wide variety of ports, developing a flexibility that made them less subject to attack. ShipsScript error: No such module "Unsubst". also began to travel around Cape Horn to trade directly at ports on the western coast.

Today

File:Town of Portobelo.jpg
View of the fort, the Aduana building, and the church

The population of Portobelo in 1990 was 3,058 and in 2000 was 3,867.[1] In July 2012 the UNESCO World Heritage Committee placed Portobelo and nearby Fort San Lorenzo on the List of World Heritage in Danger, inscribed as Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo, citing environmental factors, lack of maintenance, and uncontrolled urban developments.[7]

In London the Portobello Road is a famous street market, dating back to the 19th century with millions of visitors each year.

See also

References

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  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Duncan, Francis. History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, London, 1879, Vol.1, p.123, Quote:"...so reduced was this force in two years by disaster and disease, that not a tenth part returned to England...'thus ended in shame, disappointment, and loss, the most important, most expensive, and best concerted expedition that Great Britain was ever engaged in'...".
  7. ↑ Panamanian Fortifications Added to UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger Template:Webarchive, Global Heritage Fund blog article

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Bibliography

  • Rodger, N. A. M. The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649-1815.

External links

Template:Colón Province Template:Subject bar Template:Authority control

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