Real Felipe Fortress Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Real Felipe Fortress National Monument
Frontal view of the Real Felipe Fortress
Location	Callao Bay, 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 Peru's main port and the city of Lima. Back then, during colonial times, pirates and corsairs often attacked ships and towns. This strong fortress helped keep them away. It also played a big part in Peru's fight for independence. Today, it's a museum where you can see old uniforms, weapons, and other cool military items.

A Look Back in Time
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A Look Back in Time

Why the Fortress Was Needed

Long ago, when Peru was a Spanish colony, Callao was a super important port. It was the main connection between the Spanish colonies in the Americas and Spain itself. But Callao didn't have strong defenses. This meant that pirates and corsairs often attacked the port.

To help protect the area, a leader called a viceroy, Pedro Álvarez de Toledo y Leiva, ordered the building of the Walls of Lima. These walls were built between 1640 and 1647 to keep the city safe. However, a huge earthquake hit Lima and Callao in 1746. It destroyed most of these defenses.

After the earthquake, another viceroy, José Antonio Manso de Velasco, decided something stronger was needed. He ordered the construction of a new, powerful fortress to protect the port of Callao.

Building a Giant Fortress

In 1746, a French architect named Louis Godin created the winning design for the new fortress. Construction began on January 21, 1747. The first stone was placed on August 1 of that same year. This was a massive project, one of the most important buildings Spain ever made in the Americas. It cost about three million Spanish pesetas, which was a huge amount of money!

Most of the stone used to build the fortress came from San Lorenzo Island. They also used stones from the buildings that were destroyed by the earthquake. The fortress was named "Real Felipe" to honor the Spanish king, Felipe V, who had recently passed away. The building work finally finished in 1774, during the time of viceroy Manuel de Amat y Junient.

Later, in 1782, viceroy Manuel Guirior decided to make the fortress even stronger. He added two smaller forts nearby, called "San Miguel" and "San Rafael." Together, these three forts were known as "Los Castillos del Callao," which means "The Castles of Callao."

The Fortress in Times of Independence

In 1806, viceroy José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa ordered the building of a special storage area inside the fortress. This area could hold weapons, artillery, and enough water to supply 2,000 soldiers for four months.

On January 21, 1816, Admiral Guillermo Brown tried to block the port of Callao. He captured some royalist boats and started to bomb the port. But the fortress's cannons quickly fought back and forced him to retreat.

Two years later, on January 16, 1819, the fortress successfully defended itself again. This time, it was against an attack by Admiral Lord Thomas Cochrane. This event was important because it made General José de San Martín change his plans and invade Lima from Pisco.

After Peru declared its independence, General San Martín ordered a siege of the fortress. A siege is when an army surrounds a place to cut off its supplies and force it to surrender. This siege ended in 1821 when the royalist General José de La Mar gave up to the republican forces.

However, the Spanish forces, led by Brigadier José Ramón Rodil y Campillo, managed to capture the fortress again. It wasn't until 1826 that the fortress finally returned to the republicans. This happened after Brigadier Rodil y Campillo surrendered, marking the end of the Second siege of Callao and Spain's presence in Peru.