Sao Caetano de Sofala
Fort São Caetano de Sofala was a fortress that the Portuguese built in the East African city of Sofala in Mozambique . At the same time it was the first permanent base of the Portuguese in East Africa. The construction time was seven years, or it was built from 1505 to 1512. The stones for the construction were specially imported from Portugal. Your first commandant Pêro de Anaia carried the title of "Captain of Sofala". This title became the official title of all Governors General of Mozambique until the 19th century . The stones of the Sofalas fortress were demolished in the 20th century and used for the Cathedral of Beira ( Catedral Metropolitana de Nossa Senhora do Rosário ).
Its importance lay in the fact that the fortress was supposed to protect the gold trade across the Pungwe to the gold fields of Manica in the Munhumutapa Empire . It was also often used as a starting point for expeditions to Inner Africa, as well as a supply station for the Armadas da Índia sailing to India . However, the service in the fortress was considered extremely unpopular. Due to the marshy climate in the estuary, many soldiers fell ill with malaria . Due to the unhealthy climate in Sofala, the Portuguese built a second large fortress in East Africa with São Sebastião on the Ilha de Moçambique . Later they built a third large fortress with Fort Jesus on Mombasa Island .
The fortress had a square plan with 22 m long walls and circular bastions on the four sides. On the sea side was the large fortress tower that housed the quarters of the captain of the fortress. A cistern was attached to it . On the land side there was a building that served as a trading post. Many features of the fortress were also found in São Sebastião and Fort Jesus . All three fortresses were also strategically located on the islands off the coast, which made them easy to defend in the event of sieges.
literature
- Terras de Sofala. In: Luís de Albuquerque (ed.): Dicionário de História dos Descobrimentos Portugueses. Caminho, Lisboa 1994, Volume I, p. 64, Volume II, pp. 997-998.
Coordinates: 20 ° 9 ′ 0 ″ S , 34 ° 44 ′ 0 ″ E