Forte de Santana do Estreito, Colonial fortress in Estreito, Florianópolis, Brazil.
Forte de Santana do Estreito is a hexagonal military structure built on an elevated platform with walls 1.20 meters thick, originally designed to monitor the north bay channel. A circular watchtower once provided surveillance of the strategic waterway passing nearby.
Portuguese engineer José Custódio de Sá e Faria built this fortification in 1761 under royal commission to protect the Nossa Senhora do Desterro settlement. The structure was meant to secure the region as maritime trade and local importance grew.
The weapons museum inside displays historical armaments from Santa Catarina's Military Police, reflecting how this location served as a defensive stronghold for the settlement. The collection reveals the connection between the structure and the region's security needs over time.
The fortress sits beneath Hercilio Luz Bridge on North Avenue and opens Tuesday through Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM with free entry. Visitors can explore both the structure and the weapons museum housed inside without additional charges.
Excavations in 2020 uncovered 458 artifacts that offer clues about daily life when the fortress was active and occupied. These discoveries are now preserved at the Federal University of Santa Catarina's Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.
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