Fort Pilar, whose official name is the Royal Fort Blessed Virgin Mary of Pilar of Zaragoza, was built in the 17th century by the Spanish conquistadors on the southern tip of the island of Mindanao. Today, it is a branch of the of the National Museum of the Philippines and one of the city's major landmarks Zamboanga City and a symbol of its cultural heritage. Outside the fort, near its eastern walls, there is an image of the Virgin Mary of Pilar, the patroness of the city.
The construction of the fort began in 1635 to protect the inhabitants of the small Hambangan village from pirate raids, a request desperately requested by Jesuit missionaries operating in Mindanao. The fort was originally called Real Fuerza de San Jose - the Royal Fort of St Joseph St Joseph's Fort. Since there was a shortage of labour to build the fort, workers were brought to Mindanao brought labourers from the nearby islands of Cavite, Cebu, Bohol and Panay.
Already in 1646, the fort was attacked - it was attacked by the Dutch. Later, in 1662, the Spanish abandoned their fort themselves and returned to Manila to against Chinese pirates. In 1669, Jesuit monks had to restore the fort after numerous raids by invaders. And in 1718-19, the fortress was completely rebuilt by order of the Spanish Governor-General Fernando Rueda and received a new name - the Royal Fort of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Pilar of Zaragoza in honor of the patroness of Spain. Pilar of Zaragoza in honour of the patroness of Spain. Within a year, three thousand pirates led by the mighty Sultan Buliga attacked the fort, but were but were driven back. In 1798, the fort was attacked by British troops, but the fortress again held out.
In 1734, an image of the Virgin Mary was placed on the eastern wall of the fort of Pilar so that people could pray to her and honour her. It is said that in that year the Virgin Mary herself appeared at the gates of the town - the guard did not recognise her and ordered her to to stop. And when he realised who was in front of him, he fell to his knees. Another legend says that it was the Virgin Mary of Pilar who saved the city from a terrible disaster: in September 1897, a powerful earthquake occurred in western Mindanao. And there were people who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary soaring above Basilan Strait, raised her right hand and stopped the oncoming giant waves, thus saving the city from the tsunami.
In 1973, Fort Pilar was declared a national treasure of the Philippines. Since it was in a deplorable state after the Second World War, large-scale restoration work began in 1980, which was led by the National Museum for six years. After their completion, a branch of the museum was opened inside the fort with a special exhibition dedicated to Philippine contemporary art. In 1987, an exhibition was opened telling about the marine life of the Basilan Strait and the Sulu Sea. Another exhibit features the remains of the Griffin, a ship that sank off the coast of Zamboanga in the 18th century. Inside and outside the fort are small and cosy squares, while the Paseo del Mar promenade protects the fort's structures from the ravages of the sea.
