Fortaleza del Real Felipe – The Fortress of Callao
Fortaleza del Real Felipe – The Fortress of Callao
Lima was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro. The city was in its original form, the present old town, a few kilometers from the coast in the fertile Limac Valley. The port city of Callao founded Pizarro two years later. From there, the treasures stolen by the Incas, as well as mined gold and silver were transported away and brought to Panama. There they were transported ashore to the Atlantic and shipped to Europe. Also goods from Argentina and Bolivia were brought over the Andes to Callao. Because Callao was the main port on the South American Pacific coast. But it has always been that the wealth attracted enemies, in this case, the pirates. These did not shy away from long distances: even the Englishman Francis Drake set out for Callao to take the treasures of the Spaniards. That’s why a wall was built around the city in the 16th century. About 200 years later, a tsunami destroyed the wall and city. Since the place was so important, the city was rebuilt and decided to build a more stable structure against the enemy.
Construction of the fortress
The Fortress of Real Felipe was the biggest fort built by the Spaniards in the American continent. It was named after the recently deceased King Filipe V. of Spain. Later, the fortress played an important role in the struggle for the independence of Peru against Spain. The trapped Spaniards died of hunger slowly. Even after independence, the fortress was used as a defense against unwilling Spaniards again and again, sometimes serving as a political prison. Then it became a customs office, and then it served as a defense in the war with Chile. The fortress is located next to the port on its south side. Its particular location on the promontory, which stretches from the sea to Lima, made it possible to see the ships arriving from both the south and the north. The fortress has the shape of a pentagon. In each corner there is a bastion. The bastions were given a name: The King, The Queen, San Felipe, San Carlos and San José. The two beaches, El Rey and La Reina (in German king and queen) are the strongest and each has a tower. The Bastion of the King’s Tower should also serve as the last refuge in case of conquest of the fortress and, therefore, was protected by a moat and a drawbridge. The stones used for the construction came from the island of San Lorenzo, opposite the promontory.
Fortaleza del Real Felipe
Address: Plaza Independencia, Callao
Opening hour:Monday – Sunday 09:00 – 16:00
Municipalidad
route planning
Fortaleza del Real Felipe today
The fort is now a museum dedicated to preserving and preserving the testimonies of the War of Independence of Peru. It is led by the Peruvian army, a small garrison is still stationed there. The fortress is, therefore, de facto still military land and, therefore, can only be visited in the context of a guided tour. This takes place in Spanish. However, this should not be an obstacle to visiting this historic site. The former Casa del Gobernador houses the Military Museum. There are historical guns, weapons and uniforms shown, as well as bronze busts of the heroes of the Peruvian War of Independence. Among the portraits there is one that shows the famous Inca leader Tupac Amaru.
Limas Sight
- The hustle and bustle in the markets of Lima.
- The baroque splendor of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy.
- Four pre-Inca tombs discovered in Lima.
- El Callao – the port city near Lima.
- Miraflores – the district of the beautiful and wealthy in Lima.
- The Cathedral of Lima: testimony of the Spanish colonization of Peru.
- Limas meeting place Plaza de Armas.
- Church and Franciscan Monastery: Iglesia San Francisco in Lima.
- The Palacio de Gobierno del Peru in Lima.
- The Plaza de San Martín – a reminder of Lima’s struggle for independence.
- The House of Aliaga: home for seventeen generations.
- The Club de la Unión in Lima – exclusive meeting place.
- The Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Merced: A baroque piece of jewelery.
- Limas “local mountain” – The Cerro San Cristobal.
- Dominican Monastery of Lima: Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo.
- Fortaleza del Real Felipe – The Fortress of Callao.
- The Kennedy Park in Miraflores – the modern site of Lima.
- Punta Negra – surfing, swimming, high waves and beaches.
- The Park of the Legends: diverse complex in Lima.
- Shopping in Larcomar – The shopping center with sea views.