Experience the strange energy of Coral Castle, South Miami-Dade’s mysterious stone garden
More than 80 years ago, under the cover of darkness, one man was moving multi-ton stones in a secluded piece of land far south of Miami. He was building a “castle” for his beloved, a 16-year-old girl who abandoned him the day before their wedding, and who never wanted to follow him on his adventure in Florida.
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Edward Leedskalnin, an immigrant who arrived from Latvia with a broken heart, built Coral Castle, which is more sculpture garden than actual castle, on the edge of U.S. 1 heading down to the Florida Keys. It is a feat of engineering that seems like too much for many human beings, even more so for an individual weighing just over 100 pounds, who suffered from tuberculosis and with only a fourth-grade education.
How did he move the stones? Why do it in the middle of the night? Was there a first Coral Castle? What do Stonehenge, the Taj Mahal and the Egyptian pyramids have to do with the life’s work of a man in love? Why did he never want to reveal himself as the architect of the mystery? Where did the $100 bills that were found after his death go?
Those are some of the questions answered in this episode of Miami Oculto (Hidden Miami), with guest Andrea Llano, a Chilean who saw the Coral Castle at the age of 12 on her first visit to Miami. She hoped to meet Mickey Mouse, but destiny put this castle in her path, and now she works as a guide and reveals some secrets of the history of the property and its builder.
Strange energy can be felt in this flowery field with reclining stone chairs, a heart-shaped table and water fountains that serve as the setting for wedding parties and celebrations of lovers.
Some visitors to Coral Castle have experienced that cellphones stop working, or text messages come all together like a hurricane, says Llano.
Llano also shares her brush with the paranormal at Coral Castle. What was that ape-like figure that appeared in a video? Only three people were supposed to be in the frame and at the moment there were four.
What does the Freedom Tower have to do with Al Capone, a gravedigger and cans of spam?
While we search for answers, do not touch the stones of Coral Castle, not because some energy wants to make its presence felt, but because this legacy of Edward Leedskalnin, an authentic “Florida Man” who left a monument to love, is part of the National Register of Historic Places since 1984.
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Tune in on Tuesdays to watch the episodes on YouTube and the el Nuevo Herald website. Find all the episodes of the Miami Oculto podcast on your favorite audio platform:Spotify Podcast, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
