Brazil is a big and amazing country. How many things you can see there! For example, Fortaleza de São José de Macapá! It is one of the few fortresses that has been preserved in good condition to this day. It has witnessed a difficult and interesting history of the region since it was built in the 18th century!

Fortaleza de São José de Macapá was erected to protect the Amazon from the prospect of a French invasion - at that time, Guyana was already occupied by an army from the Old World. A large structure was built on the left bank of the estuary.

The plan of the fortress is quite typical: it has the shape of a square with pentagonal bastions at the tops. Each of them is named after one of the Catholic saints: Nossa Senhora da Conceição, São José, São Pedro, and Madre de Deus. If you look at the structure from above, it resembles a star. In the courtyard, there were several buildings including a chapel. Moreover, a moat was dug around the fortress for additional protection.

The construction of Fortaleza de São José de Macapá took almost two decades. Hundreds of slaves brought from Africa, as well as the chief engineer of the project, died. It is believed that it began to function in March 1782. Initially, 107 units of artillery weapons were installed there. However, there were no major battles: all shots from local guns were fired only on ceremonial occasions.

Before the formation of the Brazilian Empire, the fortress housed platoons of the Portuguese guard. But in 1889, this place fell into disrepair. In 1946, life returned there again: reconstruction work was carried out, and the military command of the state of Amapá was located. In 1950, the structure was included in the List of World Heritage Sites in Brazil. Today, the fortress is one of the main attractions of the region.