O “Forte da Muxima”, também referido como “Fortaleza da Muxima” (em língua Kimbundu, "coração"), localiza-se na margem esquerda do rio Cuanza, na vila da Muxima, município da Quiçama, província de Bengo, em Angola.
Ambaca, Cambambe, Massangano, Muxima e Pungo Andongo foram os grandes presídios angolanos: foi neles que de afirmou o domínio português quando os Neerlandeses dominaram o litoral no século XVII. Dotados de guarnições militares, constituíam as circunscrições administrativas fundamentais do território, sendo chefiados por capitães-mores nomeados pela Coroa ou por regentes, designados pelo Governador-geral. A partir deles desenvolveu-se a penetração comercial, religiosa e política no território; deles partiam as expedições militares e neles buscavam refúgio os colonos em caso de maior perigo. ("Presídios de Angola", in SERRÃO, Joel (dir.). "Dicionário de História de Portugal (4 vols.)". Lisboa: Iniciativas Editoriais, 1971. Vol. III, p. 474-475.)
História
A ocupação da área por forças portuguesas remonta ao estabelecimento, em 1581, de um pequeno posto militar junto ao rio Cuanza pelo governador e capitão-general de Angola, Paulo Dias de Novais (1575-1589).
Aponta-se 1599 como data provável da fundação do presídio por Baltazar Rebelo de Aragão sendo governador e capitão-general João Furtado de Mendonça (1594-1602). Naquele ano Aragão enviou um memorial a Filipe II de Espanha (1556-1598) onde afirma ter fundado a fortificação à sua custa. À época, o presídio oferecia suporte às relações comerciais na região, servindo como ativo entreposto de mercadorias e de escravos que aí aguardavam transporte para o continente americano.
O presídio foi transferido para novo local em 1609, por determinação do então governador e capitão-general, Manuel Pereira Forjaz.
No contexto da invasão de Angola por forças da Companhia Neerlandesa das Índias Ocidentais (WIC), em 1641 os presídios no rio Cuanza constituíram-se em uma linha de resistência dos colonos portugueses ao invasor. Desse modo, em 1646 Muxima foi atacada por forças da WIC, tendo a população se refugiado na fortificação, mas vindo a cair no ano seguinte (1647). Foi reconquistada em 1648 por forças portuguesas vindas de Massangano.
A fortificação foi reedificada em 1655, conforme inscrição na pedra de armas, sendo seu capitão Francisco de Novais.
Teve papel de apoio das forças Portuguesas nas chamadas Guerras Kwata-Kwata, conflitos inter-tribais envolvendo as tribos empregadas pelos Europeus para capturar outras tribos, sujeitando-as à escravidão.
Até meados do século XIX o presídio e a sua guarnição foram governados por um Capitão-mor. Datam deste período, em relatório de 1846 do alferes Sampaio, oficial às ordens do então governador de Angola, Pedro Alexandrino da Cunha, as observações: “(…) a fortaleza é um lindo ponto de vista para todos os lados e dele se vê perfeitamente a lagoa da Quisua"; Lopes de Lima regista que a fortaleza de Muxima é de pedra e cal e "presidiada com uma companhia de 130 praças de primeira linha". A povoação conta com cerca de 500 casas, sendo duas ou três de pedra e as demais palhoças, e vive essencialmente do seu porto fluvial que serve de escala às embarcações que de Calumbo navegam Cuanza acima até Massangano, Dondo e Cambambe.
Foi classificado como Monumento Nacional pelo Estado Português, através da Portaria n.º 2, publicada no Boletim Oficial n.º 1, de 12 de janeiro de 1924.
No contexto da Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945) aquartelou tropas portuguesas a partir de 1941, que aí foram mantidas até 1948. Em 1956 foi classificado como Imóvel de Interesse Público.
No contexto da Guerra Colonial Portuguesa (1961-1974), em 1961 ainda conservava antigas peças de artilharia, uma delas com as armas francesas. A partir de 1964 a povoação passou a ser guarnecida militarmente e a sua elevação foi utilizada para a instalação de um posto de rádio das forças armadas.
Em 1996 a fortificação foi incluída no Corredor do Cuanza (Luanda-Cuanza Norte), da Lista Indicativa com bens a classificar como Património Mundial pela UNESCO.
Em 2008, em ruínas em precário estado de conservação, em 2010 sofreu obras de beneficiação.
De propriedade do Estado, o monumento encontra-se afeto ao Ministério da Cultura de Angola.
Características
Exemplar de arquitetura militar, seiscentista, de enquadramento fluvial, implantado no alto de um morro à margem esquerda do rio Cuanza, com acesso por caminho íngreme calcetado, com guardas em alvenaria caiada de branco, sendo o portal precedido por vários degraus. No sopé do monte, ergue-se a Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Muxima.
Apresenta planta poligonal irregular, composta por três baluartes e cortinas rectilíneas. A escarpa exterior apresenta paramentos em talude, rebocados e pintados de branco, terminados em parapeito de merlões e canhoneiras ou simples, sendo reforçados por vários contrafortes de esbarro, de provável feitura posterior, e possuindo em alguns ângulos guaritas cilíndricas, com cobertura em domo, sobre cornija, e rasgadas por frestas de tiro retangulares. No topo da rampa de acesso, rasga-se o Portão de Armas em arco abatido, com porta gradeada, inserido em cortina terminada em empena com lápide mostrando o brasão de armas do Reino de Portugal e inscrição epigráfica alusiva à construção, que reza: "O CAPITÃO - FRANCISCO / DE NAVAES A FES - 1655".
No interior do terrapleno, com cortinas percorridas, em quase toda a extensão, por adarve, acedido por rampas ou escadas de pedra, erguem-se duas casas, que serviam de corpo da guarda e de paiol. Têm planta retangular simples e cobertura em telhado de quatro águas, rematadas em beirada simples. As fachadas são rebocadas e pontadas de branco, a principal rasgada por vãos retilíneos.
Esparsas pelas canhoneiras no lado do rio jazem antigas peças de artilharia de ferro, desmontadas.
Help
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. |