Forte dos Reis Magos

The Forte dos Reis Magos or Fortaleza dos Reis Magos (Fortress of the Three Wise Men) is a fortress located in the city of Natal in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte.

The fortress was the first milestone of the city – founded on 25 December 1599 – on the right side of the bar of the Potenji River (today near the Newton Navarro Bridge). It received its name based on the date of commencement of its construction, 6 January 1598, at Epiphany Catholic calendar.

Its original construction was in earth to a design of Father Gaspar Samperes. By 1608 it was in need of repair and was rebuilt in stone. The reconstructed fort was completed in 1614 with input from Portuguese engineer Francisco Frias de Mesquita. The completed works have similarities to the Forte Jesus de Mombaça in East Africa, whose dimensions have been compared to the Vitruvian ideals of the human body. The Forte dos Reis Magos is of simpler appearance than its African counterpart.

Texte adapté de « Forte dos Reis Magos » de la Wikipédia en anglais, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Forte dos Reis Magos occupe la 3 141e place sur 5 793 au classement de renommée de cet atlas et le 12e rang des 78 que l’atlas recense au Brésil. Fondé en 1599, il est plus ancien que 37 % des monuments datés de l’atlas — l’un des 495 monuments de l’atlas fondés au XVIe siècle. Voyez comment le Brésil se compare dans les statistiques des châteaux.

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