Fort San Pedro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort San Pedro |
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Moog ng San Pedro
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Front entrance of Fuerte de San Pedro
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| Alternative names | Fuerte de San Pedro |
| General information | |
| Type | Bastioned fort |
| Architectural style | Italian-Spanish school of fortification |
| Location | Plaza Indepedencia |
| Town or city | Cebu |
| Country | Philippines |
| Coordinates | 10°17′32″N 123°54′21″E / 10.29222°N 123.90583°E |
| Construction started | 1565 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Masonry |
| Floor area | 2,025 square metres (21,800 sq ft) |
| Designations | National Historical Landmark |
Fort San Pedro (also known as Fuerte de San Pedro in Spanish) is an old military fort in Cebu, Philippines. Spanish explorers built it under the command of Miguel López de Legazpi. He was the first governor of the Captaincy General of the Philippines.
The fort is located in an area now called Plaza Independencia, near the city's pier. The first fort was made of wood. It was built shortly after Legazpi and his group arrived in 1565. In the early 1600s, a stone fort was built. This was done to protect against Muslim raiders. The fort you see today was built in 1738. It is the oldest triangular fort in the Philippines. It was the center of the first Spanish settlement in the country. During the Philippine Revolution in the late 1800s, Filipino fighters captured it. They used it as their base.
Contents
Fort Design and Features
The fort has a unique triangular shape. Two sides face the sea, and the third side faces the land. The sides facing the sea had cannons to defend them. The land-facing side had a strong wooden fence.
The fort has three main towers, called bastions:
- La Concepción (southwest)
- Ignacio de Loyola (southeast)
- San Miguel (northeast)
The total area inside the fort is about 2,025 square meters (21,797 square feet). The walls are about 6.1 meters (20 feet) high and 2.4 meters (8 feet) thick. The towers stand about 9.1 meters (30 feet) tall from the ground. The entire fort measures about 380 meters (1,248 feet) around. The sides are not all the same length. The entrance to the fort is on the side facing the city. There were fourteen cannons placed around the fort, and most of them are still there today. Construction first began in 1565, with Miguel Lopéz de Legazpi starting the work.
Not much was known about the fort's activities for about 200 years after it was built. Then, in 1739, the King of Spain, Philip V, asked for information about Cebu island. Governor-General Tamón, who ruled the islands for Spain at that time, sent a report.
He described Fuerte San Pedro as being built of stone and mortar. It had a flat area on top of the walls where guns were placed. The fort also had important buildings inside. The largest building was the Cuerpo de Guardia, where the soldiers lived. Next to it was the vivienda del teniente, which was the living area for the fort's lieutenant. There was a well between these buildings. In one corner, attached to the walls of the San Miguel bastion, was the Almacenes de Pólvora (the powder magazine, where gunpowder was stored).
A Look at Fort History
Early Construction and Changes
We are not entirely sure when the stone fort was first built. Some say a Jesuit named Antonio Campioni built a stone fort in 1630. The fort's gate has the date 1738 on it, along with the symbols of Castile and Leon. However, we do know for sure that the fort was greatly improved in the late 1800s. This was part of a plan to make Cebu better.
Fort San Pedro Through Different Eras
The Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, marked the end of Spanish rule in the Philippines. This battle was won by the Americans led by Commodore Dewey. After this, the Spanish handed over Fort San Pedro to the Cebuano revolutionaries.
During the American period, Fort San Pedro became part of the American Warwick barracks. From 1937 to 1941, these barracks were turned into a school. Many people from Cebu got their education there.
During World War II, from 1942 to 1945, Japanese people living in the city found safety inside the fort's walls. When the battle to free Cebu City from the Japanese forces happened, the fort was used as an emergency hospital for wounded people.
After the war, from 1946 to 1950, Fort San Pedro was an army camp. After 1950, the Cebu Garden Club took over. They cleaned up the inside and turned it into a small garden.
Even though the fort was in ruins, its upper deck was used for different offices. It was a clinic for the City Health Department, then an office for community development. Later, the City Public Works Unit used the ruins of the lieutenant's living quarters as their field office.
Saving the Fort from Demolition
In 1957, Mayor Sergio Osmeña Jr. wanted to tear down Fort San Pedro. He planned to build a new city hall on the same spot. But newspapers and magazines in Cebu City and Manila spoke out against this idea. Because of this pressure, Mayor Osmeña changed his mind. He said he would use the space behind the fort instead.
In the same year, the city council allowed "The Lamplighter," a religious group, to run a zoo inside the fort's courtyard. The city helped pay for it.
By 1968, the front, living quarters, and walls of Fort San Pedro were so damaged that only the two towers were easy to recognize. Plans to restore the fort began, and the zoo was moved.
Restoring Fort San Pedro
Architect Leonardo Concepción created the plans and cost estimates for the fort's restoration. He had studied building restoration in Madrid. The project was funded by the Board of Travel Industry (now the Department of Tourism), the Cebu City government, and the Cebu Zonta Club.
Restoring Fort San Pedro was a difficult and long project. To make the fort look as close to its original form as possible, workers used coral stones. These stones were brought from under the sea along Cebu's coast. The stones arrived roughly cut, and the fort workers did the final cutting and polishing to make them fit perfectly.
The work was slow, but after a year and a half, the front, the main building (Cuerpo de Guardia), the walkways, and the observatory roof garden were carefully restored. To make the fort useful again, the restored main building became the Cebu office for the Department of Tourism. The lieutenant's quarters now hold a museum. The inner courtyard is an open-air theater, and the area around it is a park.
Today, the Cebu City government manages Fort San Pedro as a historical park. This was decided by City Executive Order No. 08-87 on February 20, 2008. This order created a board to oversee Plaza Independencia and Fort San Pedro. Hon. Michael L. Rama was appointed to lead this board. However, the land where the fort stands is owned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Part of the fort now has a museum. This museum displays items from the Spanish government's time, such as old Spanish documents, paintings, and sculptures. Outside the fort walls, you can see a large statue of Legazpi and Antonio Pigafetta.
See also
- Fort San Pedro (Iloilo)
