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.

Tekst overgenomen uit “Forte dos Reis Magos” op de Engelstalige Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Forte dos Reis Magos staat op plaats 3.141 van 5.793 in de bekendheidsranglijst van deze atlas en op plaats 12 van de 78 die de atlas in Brazilië in kaart brengt. Gebouwd in 1599, en daarmee ouder dan 37% van de gedateerde bouwwerken in de atlas — een van de 495 bouwwerken in de atlas die uit de 16e eeuw stammen. Zie hoe dat zich verhoudt in de kastelenstatistiek.

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