Originally built on the site of earlier French fortifications in 1567, the fort was progressively strengthened before being completely remodelled in the mid-1760s under the direction of Jacques Funk (c.1715-1788), a Swedish born military engineer recruited into the service of the Portuguese crown.
The new fort was designed so that its guns fire through an arc of nearly 180 degrees across the approaches to the Bay, and one of nearly 270 degrees within the Bay. The side of the fort facing the land was protected by a sea moat cut across the headland.
In the mid-1770s fear of Spanish attacks led to additional fortifications being constructed on the hillside behind the Fort. It also led to experiments to determine whether the Bay could be protected by stretching a heavy iron chain just below the surface of the water between ships securely anchored off Fortaleza de Santa Cruz and Fort Laje, built on an island off the western entrance to the Bay. The thinking was that as enemy warships collided with the chain they would become easy targets for the gunners of both forts.
Fort Santa Cruz is now a protected architectural heritage site
*View of Fortress of Santa Cruz from Baia de Guanabara
*You can see another point of view here: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/South_America/Brazil/photo19440.htm
Niterói - RJ
Critiques | Translate
MIG13 (0) 2006-05-26 20:47
Oi, Arley! Bonita foto da fortaleza, de um ãngulo diferente (de um barco, não?). Gosto também do corte da foto, mais horizontal. Parabéns pelo trabalho! Miguel.
nmess (2301) 2007-02-11 16:01
Nice portrait of the old fortress and great note too. I think that you've nailed this one. The sky and water are a wonderful contrast to the stony cold looking fort. TFS
- Copyright: Arley Ramos da Silva (arleyramos) (175)
- Genre: Places
- Medium: Color
- Date Taken: 2005-11-00
- Categories: Architecture
- Camera: Sony DSC-P72, 35-80 mm
- Photo Version: Original Version
- Theme(s): Forts and fortresses of Brazil [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2006-05-26 12:02