São Miguel Fortress of Luanda
The São Miguel fortress of Luanda is a widely visible historical landmark of Luanda , the capital of Angola . It is located on the old mountain of São Paulo (referring to the first name São Paulo de Loanda ) in the immediate vicinity of the land bridge to the Ilha do Cabo .
The fortress was built in 1576 at the behest of the city's founder and first governor Paulo Dias de Novais as a massive defensive structure in the first year after the Portuguese settled in 1575. In this way, a fortification made of thick masonry in a polygonal shape was created on a huge area .
history
From August 24, 1641 to August 15, 1648 the fort and the city fell to the Dutch West India Company . When they were retaken by the Portuguese, they were the scene of a major attack that ended with the surrender and expulsion of the Dutch troops.
The São Miguel fortress was a warlike symbol of the Portuguese presence in Angola for a long time, above all to protect the port and the settlement of Luanda and the increasingly important slave trade . Slaves were procured inland and held captive before being shipped to America. The fortress was also a clear signal to other colonial powers who were just as eager for hegemony in the region. The fortress is still completely preserved today.
This important historical monument is now the Central Museum of the Army ( Museo das Forças Armadas de Angola ). It is owned by the government and is in good condition after a renovation. The Ministry of Defense and Culture is responsible for its preservation and maintenance.
Individual evidence
- ^ City of Luanda: History of the City of Luanda, Section 2 (Portuguese) ( Memento from January 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive ).
Web links
- www.colonialvoyage.com: Pictures from the fortress
- Forte de São Miguel in: Instituto da Habitação e da Reabilitação Urbana
- Pictures on www.trekearth.com
- www.info-angola.ao with historical data
Coordinates: 8 ° 48 ′ 29.9 ″ S , 13 ° 13 ′ 26.5 ″ E