Fort Pilar Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Pilar
Real Fuerte de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza
The Courtyard of Fort Pilar
Former names	Real Fuerte de San José (Royal Fort of Saint Joseph)
Alternative names	Fortaleza del Pilar
General information
Type	Fortification
Architectural style	Bastioned fort
Address	N.S. Valderosa Street
Town or city	Zamboanga City
Country	Philippines
Coordinates	6°54′4″N 122°4′56″E / 6.90111°N 122.08222°E / 6.90111; 122.08222
Current tenants	National Museum of the Philippines
Groundbreaking	June 23, 1635
Owner	Philippine Government
Technical details
Structural system	Masonry
Design and construction
Architect	Father Melchor de Vera (1635) Juan Sicarra (1718)

Fort Pilar, also known as the Real Fuerte de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza, is a very old military fort. It was built in the 1600s by the Spanish government when they ruled the Philippines. This fort is in Zamboanga City.

Today, Fort Pilar is a regional museum run by the National Museum of the Philippines. It is a famous landmark in Zamboanga City. It shows the city's rich cultural past.

Right outside the fort's eastern wall, there is a special outdoor shrine. This shrine is dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, who is the patron saint of Zamboanga City.

History of Fort Pilar
Fort Pilar Today
Parts of the Fort
See also

History of Fort Pilar

Building the Fort

Illustration of Zamboanga and Fort Pilar from 1734

In 1635, some Jesuit priests and a Bishop from Cebu asked for a fort to be built. They wanted protection from pirates and raiders. The Spanish governor of the Philippines, Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, agreed to their request.

The fort was first called Real Fuerte de San José, which means "Royal Fort of Saint Joseph". A Jesuit priest and engineer named Melchor de Vera laid its first stone on June 23, 1635. This date is also seen as the founding day of Zamboanga City.

Building the fort continued under the next Spanish governor, Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera. There weren't enough workers in Zamboanga. So, laborers came from other places like Cavite, Cebu, Bohol, and Panay. They worked alongside Spaniards, Mexicans, and Peruvians. During this time, the Zamboangueño Chavacano language started to develop.

Early Battles and Changes

In 1646, the Dutch attacked Fort San José. Later, in 1662, Spanish soldiers left the fort. They went to Manila to help fight a Chinese pirate named Koxinga.

Pirates and raiders destroyed the fort again. But in 1669, the Jesuit priests rebuilt it. From 1718 to 1719, a Spanish engineer named Juan Sicarra rebuilt the fort once more. This was ordered by Governor General Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda.

The fort was then renamed Real Fuerte de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza. This honored Our Lady of the Pillar, a patron saint of Spain. A year later, in 1720, Dalasi, a king from Bulig, and 3,000 Moro pirates attacked the fort. But the fort's defenders fought them off. In 1798, the British Royal Navy also attacked the fort, but it was strong enough to defend itself.

Stories of the Virgin Mary

The relief of Our Lady of the Pillar

In 1734, a special carving of Our Lady of the Pillar was placed on the fort's eastern wall. This made it an outdoor shrine with an altar. People believe that the Virgin Mary appeared to a soldier at the city gate on December 6, 1734. The soldier asked her to stop, but when he recognized her, he knelt down.

Another story tells of a strong earthquake on September 21, 1897. It hit the western part of Mindanao. People say the Virgin Mary appeared during this earthquake. They saw her floating in the air over the Basilan Strait. She raised her right hand, telling the big waves to stop. This saved the city from a tsunami.

American Rule

Fort Pilar, around 1930

After the Spanish–American War, the Spanish soldiers at Fort Pilar gave up the fort. This happened on May 18, 1899, to the Republic of Zamboanga. This was during the Philippine Revolution against Spain. Later, on November 19, 1899, American forces took control of the fort.

World War II and Beyond

Fort Pilar Historical Marker

During World War II in 1942, Japanese forces captured the fort. American and Filipino troops recaptured it in March 1945. Finally, on July 4, 1946, the fort was officially given to the government of the Republic of the Philippines.

Bringing the Fort Back to Life

Fort Pilar was named a National Cultural Treasure on August 1, 1973. This meant it was a very important historical site. However, the fort was in bad shape after World War II.

The National Museum of the Philippines started restoring it in the early 1980s. They rebuilt three of the four main buildings inside the fort. After six years of hard work, the museum opened to the public. It had a special art exhibit.

In October 1987, a permanent exhibit about marine life opened. It showed 400 types of sea creatures from the Zamboanga, Basilan, and Sulu areas. These were displayed in giant 3D models called dioramas. There was also a special exhibit of items from an 18th-century Shipwreck called the Griffin.

Former congresswoman and Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat helped a lot with the museum's development. Many people from the city also supported the project.

Zamboanga Fortress (now Fort Pilar), from before (left) and present (right). Note: Two different sides of the fort are shown in the photographs.

Fort Pilar Today

Today, Fort Pilar is both an outdoor Roman Catholic Marian shrine and a branch of the National Museum of the Philippines. Inside the fort, only the southern building is still in ruins. The gardens inside and outside the fort are well cared for.

There is also a walkway called the Paseo del Mar along the sea. This walkway was built on reclaimed land and helps protect the fort from the ocean waves.