Through the Gates of Fort Real Felipe

Post by Cmanrique

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The constitutional providence of Callao holds the major Peruvian and continental historical monument of Fort Real Felipe. The fort is the only of its kind built by the Spaniards and was never taken by forces during the colonial period. Nowadays, the fort has been converted into a naval and military museum which opens history’s doors to the fort’s past.

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The Fortified Museum

Fort Real Felipe -named after King Felipe V of Spain- was constructed from 1747 to 1783 with its intent to serve and defend the then named Virreinato del Perú (modern day Peru) from pirates. Eventually, the fort would also become the fountain of resistance during the May 2nd Combat, where Peruvian forces ousted the Spaniards that wanted to reclaim their former colonies.

With its pentagon shape, the fortress is over 200,000 square feet and has 50 ft walls that are as thick as nearly 7 ft. The fort also has an intricate embankment system with an incline that allowed the fort to be nearly invisible from water invaders. This attribute allowed the fortress to stand strong during the Colonial period and the fight for independence.

Real Felipe relied on five defensive sections: The Queen, The Queen, San Jose, San Carlos, San Felipe, and the Pince’s Bastion. From these points, there is a magnificent view of the surrounding military complex and the ocean.

The fort’s surrounding are also to be appreciated. Sites such as the Govenor’s mansion and the Responsedent’s House, which is an exact replica of the Respondent’s House in Arica. The house is named after “Dia de la Respuesta” (the Day of the Response) in which the Peruvian hero Francisco Bolognesi affirmed that Peru would not surrender to Chilean forces during the Mapocho conflict.

Additionally, la Casa de la Mujer (the Woman’s House), la Plaza Bolognesi, el Parque de Artillery (the Artillery park) y el Parque de Vehículos (the Vehicle Park), are sites that should not be overlooked and undermined.

Another central point of the Fort is the collection of arms in the Military Museum. There, you will find an array of pistols, revolvers, rifles, carbines, submachine-guns, grenade launchers, and mortar launchers. As an additional attraction, pirates walk among the museum. The so-called pirates are actors that will make the museum exciting and much more entertaining.

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The Tour

The Museum-Fortaleza del Real Felipe (located at Plaza Independencia del Callao, al inicio de la avenida Sáenz Peña) is open all week long from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tours normally should take at least two hours and cost ten Soles. Three if you’re a student.

To get the full tour, we recommend that you contact agencies like Enjoy Peru. They provide transportation to and from the fort at a reasonable price.

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