during this period the island was finally occupied by the forces under the command of the admiral nicolas durand de villegagnon in 1555, who was so far as to build a small fort to solidify his position.

but it was a short-lived victory, and the portuguese would fsoon manage to definitively expel the invaders.

although the portuguese position as rulers of the region was now well-established, these territories remained under the ambitions of other european powers.

in order to counteract this fact the island was complemented with a large fort, named saint francisco de xavier, in the same manner as several other locations  across the bay at the time.