Real Felipe Fortress Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Real Felipe Fortress National Monument
Frontal view of the Real Felipe Fortress
Location	Central part of the bay of Callao, Peru
Area	70,000 m²
Built	1747–1774 and 1776–1811
Governing body	Peru's Army

Designated	19 May 1952

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The Real Felipe Fortress is a huge old fort in Callao, Peru. It was built a long time ago to protect the main port of Peru and the city of Lima. Back then, pirates and corsairs (like government-approved pirates) were a big problem.

This fortress was super important in a naval battle in 1826. A Spanish fleet came to South America to try and take back its old colonies. The fort's cannons helped defend Peru. Today, the Real Felipe Fortress is the Peruvian Army Museum. You can see old uniforms, weapons, and other cool military items there.

History of the Fortress
Gallery
See also

History of the Fortress

Why the Fort Was Built

When Peru was a Spanish colony, Callao was a very important port. It was the main link between the Spanish colonies and Spain itself. But there weren't many defenses, so pirates often attacked.

To protect the port, the Spanish ruler of the area, Pedro Álvarez de Toledo y Leiva, ordered walls to be built around the city of Lima. This happened between 1640 and 1647. However, a huge earthquake in 1746 destroyed most of these defenses. So, the next ruler, José Antonio Manso de Velasco, decided to build a strong fortress to make the port safe again.

Building the Fortress

In 1746, a French architect named Louis Godin designed the fortress. Construction started on January 21, 1747. The very first stone was laid on August 1 of that same year.

This was one of the biggest buildings Spain ever built in the Americas. It cost a lot of money, about three million Spanish coins! Most of the stone came from San Lorenzo Island and from the ruins left by the earthquake. The fortress was named after King Felipe V of Spain, who had recently passed away. The building was finished in 1774, when Manuel de Amat y Junient was the ruler.

Later, in 1782, another ruler named Manuel Guirior decided to make the defenses even stronger. He ordered two smaller forts, "San Miguel" and "San Rafael," to be built next to the main fortress. Together, these forts were known as "Los Castillos del Callao" (The Castles of Callao).

The Fort During Independence

In 1806, the ruler José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa ordered a special storage area to be built. This area could hold weapons, cannons, and enough water to supply 2,000 soldiers for four months!

On January 21, 1816, Admiral Guillermo Brown blocked the port of Callao. He captured some Spanish ships and started firing cannons at the port. But the fortress's cannons quickly forced them to leave.

On January 16, 1819, the fortress also fought off an attack from Admiral Thomas Cochrane. This event made General José de San Martín decide to invade Lima from a different city called Pisco. After Peru declared its independence, General San Martín ordered his army to surround the fortress.

The siege ended in 1821 when the Spanish General José de La Mar surrendered to the Peruvian forces. However, the Spanish, led by Brigadier José Ramón Rodil y Campillo, captured the fortress again. It wasn't until 1826 that the fortress finally returned to the Peruvian side. This happened after Brigadier Rodil y Campillo surrendered, ending the Second siege of Callao.