Fortaleza do Monte
| Fortaleza do Monte | |||||||
 | |||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 大炮台 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Big Fortress | ||||||
| |||||||
| Portuguese name | |||||||
| Portuguese | Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora do Monte de São Paulo | ||||||
Fortaleza do Monte (Portuguese for Mount Fortress, also Monte Forte; officially Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora do Monte de São Paulo, in English: Fortress of Our Lady of the Mount of St. Paul; Chinese: 大炮台) is the historical military centre of Macau, China. It forms part of the "Historic Centre of Macau", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[1]
The fort was built between 1617 and 1626 on the 52 metre-tall Mount Hill,located directly east of the Ruins of St. Paul's.It was constructed to protect the properties of the Jesuits in Macau,primarily from pirates.Later it was seized by the governor for the defense of Macau.
It occupies an area of roughly 8,000 square metres. 32 cannons were placed around the fort and the two corners of the southeast wall have watchtowers.They were crucial in successfully holding off the attempted Dutch invasion of Macau in 1622.[2]
The fort was a restricted military area until 1965 when the barracks in the fort were rebuilt into a weather observatory,and was opened to the public.The observatory ceased its function and was relocated to Taipa in 1996,then it was demolished to make way for the Museum of Macau,which was officially opened on April 19, 1998. The tree-covered park at the top of the fort has a panoramic view of the mainland area of Macau.
Apart from being a fortress,it has served various functions:
- First residence of the Governors of Macau (1623 and 1740)
- Home to of two companies of the Prince Regent Battalion to act as police force from 1810 to 1841
- Weather Observatory, Meteorological Department of Portuguese Macau (1966 and 1996)
- Museum of Macau (1998-)
Gallery
- Fortaleza do Monte, Macau
-
A reflecting pool by the main fortress building
-
Cannons line the fortress walls
-
Garden in Fortaleza do Monte
See also
References
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fortaleza do Monte. |
| ||||||
Coordinates: 22°11′49.6″N 113°32′32.72″E / 22.197111°N 113.5424222°E