Fort Colcura facts for kids
Fort Colcura was a small but important fort built by the Spanish. It was the very first Spanish settlement in the area we now know as Lota, Chile. This fort was located on a small hill right next to the Bay of Arauco. It was about two kilometers (a little over a mile) southeast of the modern city of Lota.
From its spot, Fort Colcura could watch over the northern side of a hill called Marihueñu. It also overlooked the Colcura valley. At the western end of this valley, the Colcura stream flows into the Colcura cove. This made the fort's location very strategic for the Spanish.
History of Fort Colcura
Fort Colcura was first built as a small fort during the early days of the Spanish conquest. Over time, it was destroyed many times by the Moluche people, who were a group of Mapuches. Each time, the Spanish would rebuild it.
Rebuilding After Uprisings
After a big event known as the Mapuche Uprising of 1598, the fort was rebuilt once more. This happened in 1602, under the command of Governor Alonso de Ribera.
Later, after another major conflict called the Mapuche Insurrection of 1655, the fort was rebuilt again. In 1662, Pedro Porter Casanate oversaw the construction of a new fortress on the same site. This new fort was named San Miguel Arcángel de Colcura.
See also
Sources
- Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos, Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile, SEGUNDA EDICIÓN CORREGIDA Y AUMENTADA, NUEVA YORK, D. APPLETON Y COMPAÑÍA, 1899, Pg. 157 Colcura
