Fortress Santiago in Philippines

Fortress Santiago in Philippines was at a point of time, the main center of defense of the Spanish government reigning the area. This fortress was constructed for the Spanish explorer, Miguel López de Legazpi and initially formed part of the walled city of Intramuros in Manila, the capital of Philippines. History says that the locale of the fortress was traditionally used to host a palace and kingdom of Rajah Suliman, the chief of Manila during the pre-Spanish era. When a group of Spanish adventurers arrived in 1570, numerous battles were fought between the Spanish and the Muslims and native Tagalogs. As a mark of testifying their power, the Spaniards ruined the native structures and constructed the Fortress Santiago in Philippines.

You will be impressed to know that the fortress was made of log and clay, the maximum part of which was ravished by Chinese pirates capsizing the place during the Spanish-Chinese War. Only after 1589, Fortress Santiago was made out of hard stone, which took three years to complete the project. With the passage of time, the fortress served as the moor for trade and tourism for the Americans and Europeans.

Located at the mouth of the Pasig River, the fort is covered by 22 metres of wall. The fortress suffered ruins during the Battle of Manila in 1945 till it was finally refurbished by the Intramuros Administration during the 1980s. You will find a museum and the prison dungeons.