Fortaleza del Cerro

Fortaleza del Cerro, also known as Fortaleza General Artigas, is a fortress situated in Montevideo, Uruguay overlooking the Bay of Montevideo. It belongs to the barrio of Casabó, at the west of Villa del Cerro. It holds a dominant position on the highest hill of the department of Montevideo (popularly known as Cerro de Montevideo with its altitude of 134 meters above sea level the sea, on the opposite side of the bay.[2] Its function was to defend the population of Montevideo and its port, on the río de la Plata. Governor Francisco Javier de Elío ordered construction in 1809 and it was completed in 1839;[2] this was the last Spanish fort built in Uruguay. It has housed the Military Museum since 1916.

Fortaleza del Cerro Lighthouse
El Cerro de Montevideo
Fortaleza General Artigas
The fortress on the Cerro de Montevideo
Uruguay
LocationCerro
Montevideo
Uruguay
Coordinates34.888479°S 56.259928°W / -34.888479; -56.259928
Year first constructed1802
Constructionbrick tower
Tower shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern atop a fortress
Markings / patternwhite tower and lantern
Tower height8 metres (26 ft)
Focal height148 metres (486 ft)
Range19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi)
CharacteristicFl (3) W 10s.
Admiralty numberG0702
NGA number19184
ARLHS numberURU-009
Uruguay numberUY-424[1]

Monument and Sight

It has been a National Monument since 1931[3] and has housed a military museum since 1916.[2] Today it is a well-known attraction for tourists visiting Montevideo.

See also

References

  1. Lighthouses of Uruguay The Public's Library and Digital Archive
  2. "CERRO DE MONTEVIDEO". Montevideo.com. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  3. "Cerro - Municipio A". Intendencia de Montevideo. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.