Fort of São Diogo

The Fort of São Diogo is located in Praça Azevedo Fernandes, in the neighborhood of Barra , in Salvador , capital of theBrazilian state of Bahia . It stands at the base of the Morro de Santo Antônio, on the right side of the beach of Porto da Barra , where formerly there existed the Castle of Pereira . Near the fort are also the Santo Antônio da Barra Church and the Mauá Institute , which is already on Sete de Setembro Avenue .

The Fort of São Diogo was intended to prevent the landing of any enemy in that access to the south of the city of Salvador, then the capital of the State of Brazil , with the support of the Santa Maria Fort .

From its walls there is a beautiful and wide view of the Bay of All Saints . At the moment it is under the guard of the Brazilian Army .

History

XVII century

Its construction dates back to the General Government of D. Diogo de Meneses Siqueira (1609-1613) with the plan of the Master Engineer and leader of the fortification works of Brazil, Francisco de Frias da Mesquita(1603-1634). In iconography of João Teixeira Albernaz, the old one ( Plant of the City of Salvador , 1616 ) figures as Estância de São Diogo .

It was expanded and transformed into a fort that was intended to prevent the landing of invaders in the only safe harbor at the entrance to Todos os Santos Bay , preferred by the invaders who wanted to attack the city from the south side.

In the context of the Dutch Invasions of Brazil it was rebuilt from 1626 , during the General Government of Diogo Luís de Oliveira (1626-1635), resisting, still under construction, the April-May 1638 attack of Count Maurício de Nassau(1604 -1679), on the occasion of the second Dutch invasion.

The eighteenth century

The structure underwent changes in structure and layout from 1704 , which gave it the current organic structure, in which the embankmentaccompanies the bottom line of the hill, cut for its edification.

It was reinaugurado in September of 1722 , when it came to count on a battery of seven pieces of artillery . According to the iconography of José António Caldas ,  presents the layout of a half open circular center with parapets to the barbeta . On the embankment, there is a two-storey building housing the service quarters ( Casa de Comando , Barra da Tropa , Casa da Palamentaand others).

It was garrisoned with a captain commander and two gunmen, and armed with five pieces of 12-pound iron and two 8-gauge brass , presumably in the mid- eighteenth century .

The 19th century

In the context of the Christie Question (1862-1865), the " Report of the State of the Fortresses of Bahia " to the President of the Province, dated August 3 , 1863 , gives it as repaired,  quoting:

" (...) is this Forte of irregular figure, composed of six straight sides and a curved one, to the barbeta, whose total fire plane is of 120 palmos .

Mounts five pieces of caliber 24, has been repaired and is in good condition.

It does not have a platform, and the repairs for a similar fault lie on the terrain of the embankment, which is not paved and does not have its own slope, as is convenient in the part where the artillery is played. " 

It underwent new reforms, in the gunboats and parapets, in 1875 , 1883 and 1886 . SOUZA (1885) informs that it maintained, at the time (1885), four pieces of artillery , in the abandoned walls . 

The 20th century

At the time of World War I (1914-1918), the fort was unarmed in 1915 , and that of the Second World War (1939-1945), abandoned in 1940 . BARRETTO (1958) adds that at that time (1958), the Military Circle occupied one of the dependencies of the fort.

Nowadays, the Fort of São Diogo is restored and opened to the public, converted into a Cultural Center, with regular schedule of events. Its garrison is dressed in the historical uniform of the 1st Infantry Regiment of Bahia , within the project of revitalization of Historical Strengths of Salvador, of the Secretariat of Culture and Tourism in partnership with the Brazilian Army .

For the aficionados of telecartofilia , its façade and access illustrate a phone card from the Fortes de Salvador series, issued by Telebahia , in June 1998 .

Features

It presents an irregular plant of the Italian type, endowed with a house of command with two floors, carried top by coat of arms, and guardhouse 

Source: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forte_de_São_Diogo