After we finally had all the papers and we decided our wedding day on that day, my husband and I went to visit the Real Felipe Fortress, which is situated near the Offices where we were arranging all the papers. The day was nice and sunny so it was perfect for a visit to the Fortress, we passed by so many times and never had the chance to visit. But that day, we decided to spent a really nice time visiting the Fortress. There were only a small group of tourist awaiting the guide to take us around the Fortress, which takes approx. 2 hours.
The Real Felipe Fortress in Callao The Fortress was built between the years 1747 and 1778. It has an extension of 70 thousand m2, it was made of masonry (mixture of sand, lime and guano-producing seabirds' white egg)in accordance with French Luis Godin design, to defend Callao from pirates and corsairs. The Fortress it is also known as "Castle of Callao" and it is the biggest military construction made by the Spaniards in America. In 1866, during the battle of "Dos de mayo" (May 2nd) it became the country's main defencein the armed confrontation against Spain.
The Fortress keep fascinating stories from different periods of the Peruvian military history. Inside the Fortress the guide take you to visit the Artilery Park, the Knight of Twelve Cannons, the Governor's house, the House of the Answers, the Queen's Tower and the King's Tower, it displays various objects (uniforms and weapon of the Peruvian militia). Today it is the Peruvian Army Museum.
The Artillery Park (Parque de la Artilleria)
The Artillery Park displays cannons used by the Peruvian Army in different historic periods. Amongst some of the models shown, there are 75-mm Schneider cannons (French manufacture), 20 and 30-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns (Swedish), 40-mm Bofor multi-purpose artillery, 105-mm M-3 North-American howitzer, 20-mm automatic Breda cannons, etc.
The Knight of Twelve Cannons (El Caballero de los Doce Canones)
The Cannons were an element of the Real Felipe's defensive system. Like the fortified towers, it had the mission to become an impenetrable fort in case of enemy's occupation, which would be counterattacked from here.
Located on the upper part of the Governor's House, obviously for defense, it has 12 cannons, pointing to the four sides, it had three lines of retreat, each one with cannons pointing at possible invaders.
The Museum of Ancient Weapons (Oploteca)
This space used for the Museum of ancient weapons was originally known as cistern and water deposit. It stored water to satisfy the needs of the Fortress for a period of several weeks, as it had a filling-water system from the surrounding pit.
Currently the Museum keeps the collection of portable weapons of the Army Museum. In the first room , we can see handguns and revolvers which used muzzleloading and sparkling system up to the semi-automatic modern ones. In the second room we can see the development of the long weapons such as rifles and carabines and in the third room, we can see the accompanying weapons: machine guns, grenade launchers and mortars.
The Governor's House (La casa del Gobernador)
The Governor's house was destined to give accomodation to the office in comand of the Fortress. It is located beneath the Knight of Twelve Cannons; it had the Spanish kings coat of armes carved on its fromnt, but when General Don Jose de Sam Martin took over the Fortress, he ordered to erase it. Later, he decided that it was better if it remained as a memory of the job that was done.
In the Governor's house we can find references to different periods, starting with the native army of the Incas Empire; then the colony, eminent people and precurors or the independence and the heroes of the republican army, as well as the patrons of each weapon and speciality of the Peruvian Army.
the entrance in the Governor's House
the chapel inside the Governor's house
The Fortress keep fascinating stories from different periods of the Peruvian military history. Inside the Fortress the guide take you to visit the Artilery Park, the Knight of Twelve Cannons, the Governor's house, the House of the Answers, the Queen's Tower and the King's Tower, it displays various objects (uniforms and weapon of the Peruvian militia). Today it is the Peruvian Army Museum.
The Artillery Park (Parque de la Artilleria)
The Artillery Park displays cannons used by the Peruvian Army in different historic periods. Amongst some of the models shown, there are 75-mm Schneider cannons (French manufacture), 20 and 30-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns (Swedish), 40-mm Bofor multi-purpose artillery, 105-mm M-3 North-American howitzer, 20-mm automatic Breda cannons, etc.
The Knight of Twelve Cannons (El Caballero de los Doce Canones)
The Cannons were an element of the Real Felipe's defensive system. Like the fortified towers, it had the mission to become an impenetrable fort in case of enemy's occupation, which would be counterattacked from here.
Located on the upper part of the Governor's House, obviously for defense, it has 12 cannons, pointing to the four sides, it had three lines of retreat, each one with cannons pointing at possible invaders.
The Museum of Ancient Weapons (Oploteca)
This space used for the Museum of ancient weapons was originally known as cistern and water deposit. It stored water to satisfy the needs of the Fortress for a period of several weeks, as it had a filling-water system from the surrounding pit.
Currently the Museum keeps the collection of portable weapons of the Army Museum. In the first room , we can see handguns and revolvers which used muzzleloading and sparkling system up to the semi-automatic modern ones. In the second room we can see the development of the long weapons such as rifles and carabines and in the third room, we can see the accompanying weapons: machine guns, grenade launchers and mortars.
The Governor's House (La casa del Gobernador)
The Governor's house was destined to give accomodation to the office in comand of the Fortress. It is located beneath the Knight of Twelve Cannons; it had the Spanish kings coat of armes carved on its fromnt, but when General Don Jose de Sam Martin took over the Fortress, he ordered to erase it. Later, he decided that it was better if it remained as a memory of the job that was done.
In the Governor's house we can find references to different periods, starting with the native army of the Incas Empire; then the colony, eminent people and precurors or the independence and the heroes of the republican army, as well as the patrons of each weapon and speciality of the Peruvian Army.
the entrance in the Governor's House 
the chapel inside the Governor's house Inside the house it is possible to see also:
The House of the Answers (Casa de la Respuesta)
The House of the Answers is a replica of the front part of the existing house located in Arica (today, the Peruvian Consulate) which in the year 1880 served as a headquarters of the Peruvian troops in charge of the defence of that city. In the House we find a copy of the Board of officers called by Francisco Bolognesi in the morning of June 5th, 1880, known as the "Day of the Response": Tell your officer in command that I have a sacred duty to fulfill, Arica does not surrender, I feel proud of my men and we will fight until we burn the last round."
On one side of the House of Answers we can find the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, which pays tribute to all soldiers who have given their lives for their homeland in the various wars of our history. It is represented by a soldier of the time of the war against Ecuador (1941) and as its identity remains unknown, it does not have a face.
The Queen's and the King Tower (El Torreon de la Reina y el Torreon del Rey)
The King's Tower
The Qeens Tower was considered as part of the defensive scheme of Real Felipe, similar to the King's Tower, it was a Fortress inside a fortress. The fortified towers had two missions; they were the strong poits to the concentration of the artillery that was able to shoot at 360 degrees of direction and at the same time they could isolate from the rest of the Fortress. In case the enemies got inside the main area, the fortified towers closed their doors and lifted their access bridges, and then they were able to continue their fights against the attackers and move them out. For this purpose the Queen's tower was equipped with ammunition deposits, provisions and it even had its own water well (which contains water still nowadays).
One of the most interesting detail is the dangeon. It has a semi cirular shape, where the prisoners could hardly stand up and they had to spend all the time in utter darkness. In the middle of the semi circle there was the room of the Guards, with small holes to listen to any comment made by the prisoners and to take advantage of such information. The holes had a special round shape to avoid the entrance of the light and people could not realize that they were beign heard.
At the beginning the Queen's Tower has two levels with cannon platforms, however it was modified at the time of the war against Chile (1879 - 1883), to defend the port of Callao., so the upper level was eliminated and four platforms were prepared to host revolving cannons. On of them still exists in the Museum.
The King's tower had three levels (base, supporting pilar and baywindow), and there are cannon platforms in two of them, the first one has 24 iron cannons and the second one has 8 brass cannons.
It has all the services that made possible to resist in case the fortress was attacked. The access bridge can be raised,so that once it is lifted, it is almost impossible to reach the door. The internal construction has a labyrinth shape to confound those who tried to get inside.
At the time fo the war with Chile the tower was modified, the upper levels were eliminated, two platforms were mounted to host revolving cannons. Time and the earthquakes that took place in the past ruined it, nevertheless it has been recently restored to its original shape.
From the King's tower it is possible to see the two isles, one used as a prison, and the seaside.
Nowadays the Castle is a manor base of the Peruvian Army and a Museum. Some areas are still under construction, as they are going to extend the Museum.
The text about the Fortress was found in the leaflet about the Fortress that the visitors receive when visiting the fortress. For more information visit the page:
http://www.regioncallao.gob.pe
The House of the Answers (Casa de la Respuesta)
The House of the Answers is a replica of the front part of the existing house located in Arica (today, the Peruvian Consulate) which in the year 1880 served as a headquarters of the Peruvian troops in charge of the defence of that city. In the House we find a copy of the Board of officers called by Francisco Bolognesi in the morning of June 5th, 1880, known as the "Day of the Response": Tell your officer in command that I have a sacred duty to fulfill, Arica does not surrender, I feel proud of my men and we will fight until we burn the last round."
On one side of the House of Answers we can find the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, which pays tribute to all soldiers who have given their lives for their homeland in the various wars of our history. It is represented by a soldier of the time of the war against Ecuador (1941) and as its identity remains unknown, it does not have a face.
The Queen's and the King Tower (El Torreon de la Reina y el Torreon del Rey)
The King's Tower The Qeens Tower was considered as part of the defensive scheme of Real Felipe, similar to the King's Tower, it was a Fortress inside a fortress. The fortified towers had two missions; they were the strong poits to the concentration of the artillery that was able to shoot at 360 degrees of direction and at the same time they could isolate from the rest of the Fortress. In case the enemies got inside the main area, the fortified towers closed their doors and lifted their access bridges, and then they were able to continue their fights against the attackers and move them out. For this purpose the Queen's tower was equipped with ammunition deposits, provisions and it even had its own water well (which contains water still nowadays).
One of the most interesting detail is the dangeon. It has a semi cirular shape, where the prisoners could hardly stand up and they had to spend all the time in utter darkness. In the middle of the semi circle there was the room of the Guards, with small holes to listen to any comment made by the prisoners and to take advantage of such information. The holes had a special round shape to avoid the entrance of the light and people could not realize that they were beign heard.
At the beginning the Queen's Tower has two levels with cannon platforms, however it was modified at the time of the war against Chile (1879 - 1883), to defend the port of Callao., so the upper level was eliminated and four platforms were prepared to host revolving cannons. On of them still exists in the Museum.
The King's tower had three levels (base, supporting pilar and baywindow), and there are cannon platforms in two of them, the first one has 24 iron cannons and the second one has 8 brass cannons.
It has all the services that made possible to resist in case the fortress was attacked. The access bridge can be raised,so that once it is lifted, it is almost impossible to reach the door. The internal construction has a labyrinth shape to confound those who tried to get inside.
At the time fo the war with Chile the tower was modified, the upper levels were eliminated, two platforms were mounted to host revolving cannons. Time and the earthquakes that took place in the past ruined it, nevertheless it has been recently restored to its original shape.
From the King's tower it is possible to see the two isles, one used as a prison, and the seaside.
Nowadays the Castle is a manor base of the Peruvian Army and a Museum. Some areas are still under construction, as they are going to extend the Museum.
The text about the Fortress was found in the leaflet about the Fortress that the visitors receive when visiting the fortress. For more information visit the page:
http://www.regioncallao.gob.pe
1 comment:
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