Recife, Pernambuco - Brazil
O Forte de São Francisco da Barra está localizado no extremo norte do Recife, sobre os recifes de pedra que protegiam o seu porto, no litoral do Estado de Pernambuco.
Erguido a partir de 1608 com risco do Engenheiro-mór e dirigente das obras de fortificação do Brasil, Francisco de Frias da Mesquita (1603-34), destinava-se a proteger a barra do canal de acesso e o porto do Recife de Olinda. Com a forma de um polígono hexagonal irregular, foi artilhado originalmente com seis peças de bronze.
Segundo Barretto (1958), no contexto da Guerra Holandesa (1630-54), materializada a invasão holandesa em fev/1630, esta fortificação - que os holandeses chamarão de Castelo do Mar -, junto com o Forte de São Jorge (o Castelo de Terra), que lhe era fronteiro e com quem cruzava fogos, serão as únicas a oferecer resistência, capitulando a 02/mar.
Sobre esta estrutura, Nassau, no "Breve Discurso" de 14/jan/1638, sob o tópico "Fortificações", reporta: "Defronte do Castelo de São Jorge, sobre o arrecife de pedra, no mar e na entrada da barra, fica um outro belo castelo de pedra, por nós denominado Castelo do Mar. Este tem sido um tanto danificado pelo mar, que, batendo nele com toda a força e em todas as marés, tem arrancado na parte inferior algumas pedras. Tratamos com o mestre, que foi o seu primitivo construtor, para que, com o auxílio de pedreiros portugueses, tape o rombo e o segure contra o mar, o que é indispensável para prevenir futuros danos." De fato, a estrutura recebe obras de recuperação em 1638, a cargo dos Engenheiros holandeses Vasser e Castell.
O "Relatório sobre o estado das Capitanias conquistadas no Brasil", de autoria de Adriaen van der Dussen, datado de 04/abr/1640, complementa:
"Em frente ao Castelo de Terra [Forte de São Jorge] situa-se, do lado do mar, na entrada da barra, sobre o recife de pedra, o Castelo do Mar, construído com pedras, elevado, sem flancos; é de forma arredondada, octogonal. Ali há 7 peças de bronze, todas espanholas, a saber: 1 de 24 libras, 1 de 20 lb, 2 de 12 lb, 1 de 18 lb e 2 de 10 [lb]; domina a barra e todo o porto e o istmo que lhe fica em frente, podendo alcançar com seus tiros o Recife, o Castelo de São Jorge, o Forte do Brum e o reduto."
BARLÉU (1974) transcreve a informação: "(...) Em frente do Castelo da Terra, vê-se o do Mar, de forma redonda, formidável por sete peças de bronze, destinado à defensão do porto, da barra e do litoral. Ficam-lhe ao alcance o Recife, os fortes de São Jorge e do Brum e o Reduto." (op. cit, p. 142)
Figura nos mapas de Franz Post (1612-80) da Ilha de Antônio Vaz (1637), e de Mauritiopolis (1645. Biblioteca Nacional, Rio de Janeiro), e no mapa "A Cidade Maurícia em 1644", de C. B. Golijath (in: BARLÉU, Gaspar. História dos feitos recentemente praticados no Brasil. Amsterdã, 1647).
O francês MOREAU (1979), acerca do período entre 1646-48, relata:
Forte da Lage, c. 1870 (Foto: Marc Ferrez) "O Recife está construido (...) numa das orlas desta passagem [abertura no costão do recife de pedra], da largura de cem passos e sobre a própria rocha, do lado meridional. Há um forte de pedra, redondo, de cem passos de círculo, que o mar banha de todos os lados, munido de vinte grandes peças de ferro fundido e de uma guarnição ordinária de cinquenta homens, e do qual os navios que chegam devem dar-se conta para não se aproximar muito; ancoram a meia légua dele e depois vêm dar-se a conhecer nos escaleres com as cartas trazidas para Recife; isto feito, envia-se uma deputação a estes navios a fim de examiná-los, antes de conceder-lhes entrada no porto. (...)"
Ruínas do Forte do Picão (Fundação Joaquim Nabuco/Cenibra)Foi evacuado pelas forças holandesas quando da Capitulação em 1654 (GARRIDO, 1940:67).
Em 1817, em ruínas, o Forte da Barra (Forte do Picão, Forte da Laje) foi reconstruído pelo Governador da Capitania, General Luiz do Rêgo, com o formato de polígono eneagonal irregular, artilhado com seis peças (SOUZA, 1885:83), passando a abrigar o Farol do Recife (inaugurado em 1821), também conhecido como Farol da Barra ou do Picão. SOUZA (1885) complementa que, à época, este forte estava classificado como de 2ª Classe (op. cit., p. 83).
No século XX, a fortificação passou ao Ministério da Fazenda (1905), estando em ruínas em 1906. Quando das obras de construção do porto do Recife, suas ruínas foram cobertas pelo enrocamento do quebra-mar Sul (GARRIDO, 1940:67), descaracterizando-o completamente. As reformas de que foi objeto desde então visaram apenas consolidar e proteger a base quadrada do farol, no formato artístico de um forte com ameias para recordar a sua origem, no quebra-mar que atualmente dá acesso ao porto do Recife.
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Fortification Visualization |
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• On fortification’s view page there are fortification name, its location (City, State, Country, Continent) and all other available data about it.
• First, you will see a window with a main text that contains the fortification’s history and other information about its project and construction, its buildings, works and other interventions all over the years, information about armaments and troops, interventions of archaeology, information about legal protection, relevant historical facts associated to this fortification and other information you think it is important. • Below text window, there is the Medias box: Interactive Map, Videos, Images, panoramics and CAD Designs. Click on border of the Media you want to view available content miniatures. Below, in this Help text, you can read about navigating between every different medias. Click on miniature to view it full size. This media is viewed at the same window that previously had the main text. Medias Box – Interactive Map: o An Interactive Map shows the fortification’s localization visualized by a satellite image. It is not a static picture but a dynamic one, which works with a Google MAP technology. You can go next and go back through the map with it, zoom in and zoom out, and view satellite pictures. o Click on correspondent border in medias box and on the link “Click here to view the Interactive Map of this fortification’s localization". o The Interactive Map shows viewed fortification’s geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). There are three navigation ways: Map, Satellite and Hybrid. Use navigation commands to navigate through the map, moving to any direction you want. Still, you are able to move through the map by dragging cursor with left mouse button, always pressing it. o Click on “Return to text” option to close the map and go back to main fortification text. Medias Box – Vídeos: o To open videos, click on the correspondent border in medias box in order to load the miniatures with available files about this fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all available videos. o Click on video miniatures you want in order to load available information about it – they are showed at the same window which previously had the main text. o At the view window there are: video title, your identification number (ID), a description about its content, video credits, date of realization and user name who registered the file – can be fortification’s tutor or other contributor user (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access available information about this user. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (Kb). Click on frame icon to open and watch it. o On the base of the visualization’s window, you can access other available videos with Previous and Next commands. Between the two commands there are the total of available videos and the number of the video that you are watching. o Click on “Return to text” option in order to close the visualization window of videos and to go back to fortification main text. • Medias Box - Images: o To open Images (pictures, old iconographies: plans and maps), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Miniature images are the first to appear available in medias box when you access fortification page at the first time. Click on a miniature to visualize it bigger. The bigger image is visualized on the same window that was occupied by the main text. o When accessing images, first you will see only four miniatures, and beside, there is the number of available images about the fortification. o Click on Show All link to view the total of miniatures. o Use horizontal roll bar to show all available images and click on the miniature you want to load with its available information. o Click on Search link (Images border or miniatures box) to open a selective consult images form . o On Search Form for images it is possible to search for the identification number (ID); image classification category; key-word of image description; any word which is in image credits; the year of image realization, in this case, with the option of searching for a specific date or looking for images from before or after a specific date. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Click on image, on visualization area, to open the original file on other window of your Web Browser, usually it is in a bigger size, with a better visualization. You can get the same result by clicking on " See image at original size" link. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the image that is being showed at the moment. o Click "Auto" to select this item option, going next automatically to an image from other. o Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, with which the register Tutor can go straight to edition area in order to change registered data. o On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where you can print the page content that you are viewing. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box - Panoramic: o To open Panoramic (photographic panorama in 360 degrees), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all Panoramic available. o Click on panoramic miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). o Click on this frame to open it and see the panoramic. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the panoramic that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box – CAD Design: o To open CAD Design (DWG format of CAD file, as graphic survey registers, restoration projects etc), click on correspondent border in medias box, in order to load miniatures with available files about a fortification viewed. Use the horizontal roll bar to show all available CAD files. o Click on miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are: CAD Design title, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, design’s author credits, realization date, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). Click on frame icon to open and view the design (you must have Autocad installed in your computer or other software of DWG file visualization). o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available designs. Between the two commands there are the total of available designs and the design number that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Below medias box, there are many inquiries with parameterized data about this fortification: Recent name, Other denominations, Type, Year of beginning etc. Parameterized data are those with which is possible to do researches on fortifications Search page. Researches can be done with each inquiry individually or by a combination of inquiries. • In “Project Author” and “Began in the governor of” is available a link to access the historical Character data listed there, forwarding to a section of fortalezas.org Website Characters. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below parameterized data box there is an entitle box: Related Characters, where there are listed the name and the nationality (with an image) of historical characters related to the viewed fortification. Click on a name to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Characters box there is an entitled box: Related Bibliographies, where there are listed title, author and type (with an image) of those bibliographies related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its informations, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Bibliographies page. After this, use “Back” Navigator command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Bibliographies box there is an entitled box: Related Links, where there are listed title, synopsis and websites (Links) internet address (URL) that are related to the viewed fortification. Click on link’s title or address forwarding to its website, that will be open in a new window. • Below Link box there is an entitled box: Related texts, where there are listed title, author and text summary posted in Forum section and which are related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • On top and base of page, the system informs the total results (registers), between parenthesis, and the number of the register that is being viewed. • On top and base of page, there are also available the commands to go Next and to go Back, from a text to other, between the results (registers) found in the previous search. • On top and base of page, it is available the “Listing” link to go back to the page with the other results (registers) found in the last research. • Below related texts box, there is a “Contributions” table, where there is Item Tutor’s name, who is responsible for fortification register. Below its name, there are listed other users name that contributed to tutor in edition, revision or adding information about this fortification. • Beside Tutor name you can see the date of the last update of fortification’s data. Beside Contributor name is the date when he last contributed. • Below “Medias” sub item there are listed users that contributed to Tutor, adding a media to this fortification: image, video, panoramic or CAD Design. Beside user name, the number between parentheses informs the quantity of media files added by this user. • Click on Tutor name or those names which are contributors in order to view their available information. • Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, which the register Tutor can change registered contents, and others users can contribute with an additional information about this fortification. • On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where it can be print all fortification content that you are viewing. In this print will be listed medias data without their images. To print it, see below, Medias Box – Images item. |