Brazil · 17th century
Fort Orange (Dutch Brazil) ranks #4,879 of 9,040 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #18 of the 78 mapped in Brazil. Founded 1631, it is older than 28% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 710 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. 2 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Brazil compares in the castle statistics.
The Fort of Santa Cruz de Itamaracá (Holy cross of Itamaracá), popularly known as Fort Orange, is located on Itamaracá Island on the north coast of the state of Pernambuco in Brazil.
In the context of the second Dutch invasions in Brazil, it was originally a small island (now lost) in front of the tip of the Southeast Itamaracá Island, where the bar dominated the southern channel of Santa Cruz.
It was started from May 1631 as a fortification campaign by Dutch forces (Barretto, 1958:133), under the command of Steyn Callenfels and received the name Fort Orange, in homage to the House of Orange-Nassau, which then ruled the Netherlands.
It was garrisoned by a detachment of 366 men under the command of the Polish Captain Crestofle d'Artischau Arciszewski. This effectively resisted the Portuguese forces commanded by Conde of Bagnoli, who defeated (1632), withdrew abandoning its artillery: four pieces of brass brought from Arraial Velho do Bom Jesus. This position formed the basis for the conquest of the island of Itamaracá, defended by the forces of Salvador Pinheiro. After this achievement (1633), the fort was repaired and expanded. In this structure, Maurice of Nassau reported:
(…) Inside the bar [of the island of Itamaracá] presents the first strong Orange, situated on a low sand separated from the mainland by a creek, which is fordable low-water mark. This fort dominates the harbor entrance, since such vessels entering have to pass before him the shot gun. It is square with four bastions [the vertices], and lately has been raised and repaired, but almost no gaps, or stockade or palisade, which is necessary to make, and should widen the gap and surround the outside with a counter-scarp. This is complemented by van der Dussen, which gives two companies with a headcount of 182 men:
(…) Fort Orange, at the southern entrance of the channel, which is the main port of the island [Itamaracá]. It is a strong square with four bastions, high, in a ditch some distance, but little deep and dry, is surrounded by a strong palisade. There are 12 cannon, namely: 6 bronze and 6 iron. The brass are 1 of 26 lb, 1 of 18 lb, 3 of 12 lb and 1 of 6 lb, the iron are: May 2 of 5 lb and 4 of 4 lb. Barléu (1974) transcribes the information:
(…) The [Fort] of Orange, in the southern mouth of the harbor.
Text adapted from “Fort Orange (Dutch Brazil)” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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