Fort Santiago is a defensive fortress built Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and is located in Manila's ancient Intramuros neighbourhood. Manila's Intramuros neighbourhood. It was here that Jose Rizal was imprisoned, national hero of the Philippines, until his execution in 1896. On the ground, you can you can see his last footprints cast in bronze and trace his journey from his cell to the place of execution.
Fort Santiago, a 16th century military structure, is a "living" witness to the bravery and of Filipino heroism. It is surrounded by walls 6.7 metres high and 2.4 metres thick. Today, picnickers picnic at the fort, stroll among the the ruins and even hosts open-air theatre performances. and even open-air theatre.
Once upon a time, 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 arrived, it fell after several fierce battles. In 1571, the Spaniards built a fort and fortress called Intramundo, the fort and fortress of Intramuros, making Manila the capital of the Philippines.
The first fort was built of logs and ground. Most of it was destroyed during the Spanish-Chinese War of 1574-75. It wasn't until 1589 rebuilding of the fort, this time it was built of stone. For a long 333 years, Fort Santiago became a major trading centre, from which ships carrying spices from which spice ships travelled to the Americas and Europe.
During World War II, it was captured by the Japanese and was severely damaged by mines during the famous Battle of Manila in February 1945. Restoration of the fort was carried out in the 1980s under the Intramuros Administration. Today it houses a museum that showcases the heritage of the Spanish colonial Spanish colonial period.
