at a glance
The Fort itself was built in 1776, when Brazil was still part of the Portuguese Empire and was strategically located to defend the coast against French and Dutch invaders, boasting thick walls and ceilings to protect against attack. It was continually used to guard the mouth of the bay and in 1918 it received impressive German Krupp Cannons. In 1935 it was renamed Forte Duque de Caxia is, as a tribute to the celebrated Brazilian general. The fort is no longer in use, but it is preserved as it was in the 1920s, and visitors can venture inside the impressive edifice to see the control center, ammunition store and enormous German cannons which were used to reach distant, enemy ships.
