in fact, at the end of the 19th century during the government by marechal floriano peixoto, the fort was part of a general effort to modernize and strengthen the Brazilian armed forces - nicknamed the 'the iron marshal' peixoto found it necessary to rule with strength due to the many problems and opposition to his brief, yet popular, government.

this was an enormous investment and its electrical generator at the time, was so powerful that it fed electricity to the entire copacabana area. the care and importance that was placed into its construction can be judged by its still standing, thick walls.