little more than a rock situated in the middle of the entrance to the guanabara bay, ilha da laje (slabisland)had an important role in the defense of rio de janeiro for most of its history.

its name came from the general shape of the rock, similar to a slab, or 'laje' in portuguese.

the idea of using laje for defensive purposes developed quite early as it is placed in a key strategic location.

unfortunately the access to the island is not easy and, even more, the small size always made construction work very troublesome.