The San Cristóbal fortress is located in the city of Gracias, department of Lempira, built on a small hill above the city, which was formerly the center of the town of Gracias Lempira, which was once the capital of New Spain and headquarters of the Real Audiencia de los Confines in 1544; Gracias was a strategic city within the Province of Honduras in the colonial era, then in the pro-independence era and then in the Central American federal transition.

The first building of Spanish origin was built in the seventeenth century, on the hill "San Cristóbal", and of which two cannons with the emblem of Carlos IV of Spain are preserved.

But it was not until 1863 that the works of the present fort began, which was concluded between 1875 and 1876, in the administration of Captain General José María Medina.

In 1959 there was a rebellion between the commanders of the Third Military Zone of Honduras that included the departments of Copán, Lempira, Ocotepeque and Santa Bárbara.

The headquarters was in the city of Santa Rosa de Copán, but rebel officers transferred it to Gracias and took Fort San Cristóbal as a defensive bastion The 19th century monument is open to the national and foreign public,[3] and in this rests the tomb of the president of Honduras, Juan Nepomuceno Fernández Lindo y Zelaya and whose commemorative plaque contains the following legend: "You can be a hated ruler of your time But if you want the vote of future generations to favor you, Open schools!