Fortress of São João (Rio de Janeiro)

16th-century star fort in Brazil
22°56′36″S 43°09′23″W / 22.943372°S 43.156458°W / -22.943372; -43.156458TypeBastion fortSite informationOwnerBrazilian Armed ForcesOpen to
the publicYesConditionIntactSite historyBuilt1565 (1565)Built byEstácio de SáIn use1991 (1991)

The Fortress of São João da Barra do Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Fortaleza de São João da Barra do Rio de Janeiro), commonly known as the Fortress of São João or São João Fort,[1] is a 16th-century star fort in the present-day Urca neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, erected by Estácio de Sá to protect Guanabara Bay from French invasion.[2]

History

The original fort was built in 1565 under King Sebastian of Portugal. An expanded and improved structure was put into service in 1618, consisting of four batteries (São José, São Martinho, São Teodósio, and São Diogo). Its armaments were greatly reduced, and not manned, during Brazil's regency period, but emperor Pedro II ordered the fort completely renovated in 1872, and it was equipped with a complement of guns, bunkers, and batteries, including fifteen Whitworth cannons. It was manned as a coastal artillery installation until 1991.[2]

In 1930, the Brazilian Army's Centro Militar de Educação Física (created in 1922) was transferred to the Fortaleza de São João. This establishment was renamed Interlanguage link multi|Escola de Educação Física do Exército|pt in 1933[3] and continues to be based at the Fortaleza de São João, together with the directorate to which it is subordinated, the Diretoria de Pesquisa e Estudos de Pessoal [pt], since the latter's creation in 2002.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Fortalezas.org > Fortification > Fortaleza de São João da Barra". fortalezas.org (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  2. ^ a b Fundação Cultural Exército Brasileiro [pt], Espaço Cultural: Fortaleza de São João, RJ Archived 2021-04-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "The EsEFEx: Words from the Comandante (instructor supervisor's manual)". Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  4. ^ "DPEP/FSJ: Histórico". Archived from the original on 2010-07-25. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  • Map of the Situation of the Three Main Fortresses on the Inlet Entrance of Rio de Janeiro... is a map from 1764 including Fortaleza de São João and two other forts. (in English and Portuguese)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Stub icon

This Brazilian military article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e
  • v
  • t
  • e
Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese Empire
Africa
North Africa
Gold Coast
  • Santiago (Ghana)
  • Santo António (Ghana)
  • São Francisco Xavier (Ghana)
  • São João Baptista (Benin)
  • São Jorge (Ghana)
  • São Sebastião (Ghana)
São Tomé and
Príncipe
  • Santo António
  • São Jerónimo
  • São Sebastião
Cape Verde
  • D'El-Rei
  • Duque de Bragança
  • Principe Real
  • São Filipe
  • São José
Guinea-Bissau
Angola
East Africa
  • Jesus (Kenya)
  • Santiago (Tanzania)
Mozambique
  • Manica Fort
  • Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Inhambane
  • Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Lourenço Marques
  • Princesa Amélia
  • Santo António
  • São Caetano
  • São João Baptista
  • São José de Mossuril
  • São José do Ibo
  • São Lourenço
  • São Marçal
  • São Miguel
  • São Sebastião
  • São Tiago Maior
  • Quelimane Fort
America
Brazil
  • Nossa Senhora do Monserrate
  • Nossa Senhora da Assunção
  • Nossa Senhora da Conceição
  • Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres
  • Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
  • Presépio
  • Príncipe da Beira
  • Reis Magos
  • Santa Cruz da Barra
  • Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim
  • Santa Cruz de Itamaracá
  • Santa Cruz do Paraguaçu
  • São João
  • São José da Ponta Grossa
  • São José de Macapá
  • Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
  • Santa Catarina
  • Santa Maria
  • Santo António Além do Carmo
  • Santo António da Barra
  • Santo Inácio de Tamandaré
  • São Diogo
  • São Domingos de Gragoatá
  • São João Baptista do Brum
  • São João da Bertioga
  • São Lourenço
  • São Luís
  • São Marcelo
  • São Mateus do Cabo Frio
  • São Tiago das Cinco Pontas
Uruguay
Asia
Arabia & Iran
India
Goa
Sri Lanka
Myanmar
  • Santiago
Malaysia
Indonesia
  • Nossa Senhora da Anunciada
  • Nossa Senhora da Piedade
  • Pasai Fort
  • Reis Magos
  • São Domingos
  • São João Baptista
Timor-Leste
Macau
Portuguese name in italics and geographical location (between parenthesis)