The Spanish royal palace[1] was a castle located in Cádiz, Spain. It was best known as the primary headquarters and residence of King Ferdinand and his loyal subjects, particularly Ferdinand's most trusted agent known as "The Spaniard". Prior to the quest for the Fountain of Youth, a Spanish captain and fisherman presented to King Ferdinand an ancient sailor who claimed to have sailed on Ponce de León's ship.
History[]
Reign of Ferdinand VI[]
Some time after his accession to the throne of Spain in 1746, King Ferdinand VI took residence in Cádiz. He would make this castle as his primary headquarters and residence. King Ferdinand would rule in the palace throughout the mid-18th century, having loyal subjects, including his most trusted agent, only known as "The Spaniard".
Quest for the Fountain of Youth[]
In 1750, a Spanish captain and fisherman, found an ancient sailor caught in a fishing net off the coast of Spain.[2] A gold-trimmed carriage raced from the harbor as it arrived to the royal palace, where the captain and fisherman showed King Ferdinand their discovery.[3] As they informed King Ferdinand of the sailor's claims of having sailed with Ponce de León, the old castaway was found to be clutching the ship's log of the Santiago, a Spanish vessel that vanished two centuries before, which told of explorer Ponce de León's fabled discovery of the long-lost Fountain of Youth.[2] Upon realizing that the legends of the Fountain of Youth were true, Ferdinand sent The Spaniard, to find the Fountain.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
- "This is an illustration based on an actual location. We needed the exterior of a Spanish fort, which we couldn't find in London, but there was a perfect location in Old San Juan, so when we decided to shoot in Puerto Rico, we built that into our first night of filming."
- ―John Myhre
- For filming Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, scenes on the Cádiz royal palace were filmed in two locations. The site for the exterior of the Spanish fort was filmed at the Castillo San Cristobal, one of the two great fortifications built by Spain to guard San Juan from land attack. Construction began in 1634 and was completed in 1783, making it absolutely period-correct for the film's mid-eighteenth-century setting. When the production team decided to filmed at Puerto Rico at September 2010, Castillo San Cristobal's historic ramp entrance at was chosen for filming a carriage, led by two horses, as it was entering the main plaza of the fortification. The scene had to be redone several times because the horses weren't fast enough.[4] In The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, production designer John Myhre noted a conceptual artwork by Simon McGuire being based on the actual location. The interior of the palace set was constructed on E Stage at Pinewood Studios, and was designed by Myhre in a typical Andalusian style: ornate yet orderly.[5]
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (First appearance)
- LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)
Sources[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide
- The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Notes and references[]
- ↑ It was named that in the index of the On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide, pp. 12-13 "The Spanish"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- ↑ CARIBBEAN PIRATES IN CASTILLO SAN CRISTOBAL - San Juan National Historic Site
- ↑ The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides