São Marcelo Fort

Fort of the Sea

The fort stands on a reef about 300 metres from the coast

São Marcelo Fort stands on a small bank of reefs in the Baía de Todos os Santos. It is the only cylindrical fort in Brazil, and its design follows Castel Sant'Angelo in Italy. It is popularly known as the Forte do Mar.

Built of wood

The first fort, finished in 1623, was built entirely of wood

Construction started in 1608 under Francisco Frias Mosque and was completed in 1623. The fort was constructed entirely of wood, with 19 artillery pieces of various calibers.

19artillery pieces in the wooden fort of 1623

The Dutch

The Dutch took the fort first in 1624 and fired on the city from it

The fort was the first space in Bahia occupied by the Dutch, in 1624. They used it as a base to fire on the city, and incendiary bullets launched from it helped them capture Salvador. The Portuguese recovered Bahia in 1625.

Rebuilt

It was rebuilt in 1650 and walled around the perimeter in 1728

A reconstruction ordered in 1650 added a turret at the highest point of the sand bar, 15 metres high. A further rebuilding in 1728 added a wall around the perimeter of the fort.

A prison

In the 19th century the fort held political prisoners

The fort served as a political prison. About 200 participants of the Malê revolt, a slave revolt of 1835, were held there until their trial. The enslaved Africans and freedmen were then executed, tortured, or deported to Africa.