Fortaleza del Cerro
Encyclopedia
Fortaleza del Cerro, also known as Fortaleza General Artigas, is a fortress situated in Montevideo
, Uruguay
overlooking the Bay of Montevideo
. It belongs to the barrio of Casabó
, at the west of Villa del Cerro
. It holds a dominant position on the highest hill of the department of Montevideo]] (popularly known as Cerro de Montevideo with its altitude of 134 meters above sea level the sea, on the opposite side of the bay. Its function was to defend the population of Montevideo and its port, on the río de la Plata
. Governor Francisco Xavier de Elío ordered construction in 1809 and it was completed in 1839; this was the last Spanish fort built in Uruguay.It has housed the Military Museum since 1916.
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
overlooking the Bay of Montevideo
Bay of Montevideo
The Bay of Montevideo refers to the bay around the city of Montevideo, Uruguay in the Rio de la Plata.It was previously named by Pedro de Mendoza as "Bahía de la Candelaria".- Description :...
. It belongs to the barrio of Casabó
Casabó
Casabó - Pajas Blancas is a barrio of Montevideo, Uruguay. It shares borders with Paso de la Arena to the north and northwest, with La Paloma - Tomkinson to the northeast, with Villa del Cerro to the east and is delimited by the Río de la Plata to the south.-Casabó:Casabó is the western extension...
, at the west of Villa del Cerro
Villa del Cerro
Villa del Cerro is a barrio of Montevideo, Uruguay. It borders Pajas Blancas to the west, La Paloma to the north, the Pantanoso River to the northeast, the Bay of Montevideo to the east and the coastline after the bay to the south, where the beach of the Cerro is located.- External links :* *...
. It holds a dominant position on the highest hill of the department of Montevideo]] (popularly known as Cerro de Montevideo with its altitude of 134 meters above sea level the sea, on the opposite side of the bay. Its function was to defend the population of Montevideo and its port, on the río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
. Governor Francisco Xavier de Elío ordered construction in 1809 and it was completed in 1839; this was the last Spanish fort built in Uruguay.It has housed the Military Museum since 1916.
History
On its location an observation post was first built by the Spanish in the late 18th century. In 1802 a beacon replaced it and from 1809 to 1839 the fortress was built. It has taken part in many historical developments and has been repeatedly taken over by various sides. In 1907, the old beacon was replaced with a stronger electric one.Monument and Sight
It is a National Monument since 1931 and houses a military museum since 1916. Today it is one of the tourist attractions of Montevideo.External links
- www.uruguaytotal.com/virtual/cerro (Spanish)
- www.montevideo.com (Spanish)
- 2002 post stamps for the 200 years of the lighthouse of the Cerro (Spanish)
- Revista Raíces - Historia de la Fortaleza del Cerro (Spanish)