Fuerza de San Pedro is a military defence structure, built by Spanish and indigenous Cebuano labourers under the command of Spanish
conquistador,
Miguel López de Legazpi and the
Spanish Government in
Cebu. It is located in the area now called Plaza Indepedencia, in the Pier Area of
Cebu City,
Philippines.
The smallest, oldest triangular bastion fort in the country was built in 1738 to repel
Muslim raiders. In turn, it served as a
stronghold for
Filipino revolutionaries near the end of the 19'th Century. This served as the nucleus of the first Spanish settlement in the
Philippines.
The fort is triangular in shape, with two sides facing the sea and the third side fronting the land. The two sides facing the sea were defended with artillery and the front with a strong palisade made of wood. The three bastions were named
La Concepción (SW);
Ignacio de Loyola (SE), and
San Miguel (NE). It has a total inside area of 2,025 sq. meters. The walls are 20 feet (6.1 m) high, 8 feet (2.4 m) thick and the towers are 30 feet (9.1 m) high from the ground level. The circumference is 1,248 feet (380 m). The sides are of unequal lengths and the one fronting the city is where one may find entry into the Fort. Fourteen cannons were mounted in their emplacements most of which are still there today. Work first started on May 8, 1565 with
Miguel Lopéz de Legazpi breaking ground.
Little was known about the activity of the fort from the time it was built until two centuries later in 1739 when the King of Spain, Philip II desired information regarding the island of Cebu, Governor General Tanon, who was the Spanish ruler of the Islands at the time made the following reports:





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