Description of the attraction
Fort Santiago is a defensive fortress built by the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and located in the old Intramuros district of Manila. It was here that Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, was imprisoned until his execution in 1896. On the ground, you can see his last traces, cast in bronze, and trace his path from the cell to the place of execution.
Fort Santiago, a 16th century military structure, is a living witness to the bravery and heroism of the Filipinos. It is surrounded by walls 6.7 meters high and 2.4 meters thick. Today, on the territory of the fort, they arrange picnics, stroll among the ruins that have seen a lot, and even arrange open-air theatrical performances.
Once on the site where Fort Santiago now stands, there was a wooden fortress of Raja Suleiman, the Muslim ruler of these places. But in 1570, when the Spaniards appeared here, the fortress fell, unable to withstand several fierce battles. In 1571, the Spaniards built a fort and a fortress Intramuros here, on the banks of the Pasig River, making Manila the capital of the Philippines.
The first fort was built from logs and earth. Most of it was destroyed during the Spanish-Chinese War of 1574-75. Only in 1589 the restoration of the fort began, this time it was built of stone. For a long 333 years, Fort Santiago became the main trade center, from which ships with spices were sent to America and Europe.
During the Second World War, it was captured by the Japanese and seriously damaged by mines during the famous Battle of Manila in February 1945. The restoration of the fort was carried out in the 1980s under the direction of the Intramuros Administration. Today it houses a museum displaying the heritage of the Spanish colonial period.
