The Wandering Disciple

Enter Fort Caroline, home of the French settlement in colonial Florida. When you think of European settlement in Florida, you immediately think of the Spanish. There are Spanish influences throughout the state. But on the banks of the St Johns River near present day Jacksonville, René Goulaine de Laudonnière established a French colony in 1564. Fort Caroline was set up as a safe haven for French Huguenots trying to escape religious persecution from French Catholics. The French colony had a successful relationship with the native Timucuan tribe and they traded regularly. But the French fort was raided and seized by the Spanish in September 1565 and the the Spanish renamed the settlement San Mateo. While the exact location of the fort is not known, the National Park Service has built a replica along the St Johns River in an area believed to be in close proximity to the original settlement. (Photo: December 30, 2020)

A canon overlooks the St Johns River from Fort Caroline. The French fort sat high atop St Johns Bluff a crucial defense post near the mouth of the river. The new French settlement became a safe haven for Huguenots being persecuted in French. The colony was later captured by the Spanish in 1565 and became San Mateo under Spanish rule. Today a replica of Fort Caroline operated by the National Park Service provides a visual example of what Fort Caroline would have looked like under French rule. (Photo: December 30, 2020)