Forte Real de São Filipe is a 16th century fortress in the city of Cidade Velha in the south of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is located on a plateau above the town centre, 120 meters above sea level. The historic centre of Cidade Velha is an UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2009. The fort was part of a system of defence for the city, which also included six smaller forts on the coast and a wall along the port.
History.
The fortress was built under Philip I of Portugal between 1587 and 1593, little after Sir Francis Drake's 1585 raid of Santiago. It completed the existing defence system, consisting of the older forts of "São Lourenço", "São Brás", "Presidio", "São Veríssimo", "São João dos Cavaleiros" and "São António". Remains of these forts can still be seen. The Forte Real de São Filipe was built from stone imported from Portugal. It was designed by the military engineers João Nunes and Filippo Terzi. The fort has been restored in 1999-2001.
Layout.
The fortress consists of three bastions towards the interior of the island (east). Towards the north and south it is protected by a steep cliff. Access is from the west. Inside the fortress were military storage facilities, a brick cistern, the residence of the Governor, the garrison, the prison and the chapel of São Gonçalo.
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