FORTE DE SANTO ANTÔNIO DA BARRA - FAROL DA BARRA

The Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra was the first military construction in Portuguese America, erected in 1598 under the aegis of Governor-General Manuel Teles Barreto, and was the first line of defense for Brazil's first capital. In 1624, during the Dutch invasion, it was occupied by the latter, before being dislodged the following year. Rebuilt in 1696, a square tower topped by a bronze lantern - the Farol da Barra - was added in 1698. In 1705, the fort became the Portuguese colonial captaincy, embodied in the person of Santo Antônio de Lisboa, but in 1752, the building began to fall into disrepair, so that it was subject to several renovations in 1756. During the War of Independence (1822-1823), the fort was in the hands of Portuguese forces, under the command of colonel Inácio Luís Madeira de Melo, until the surrender in 1823. A decree was issued in 1832 ordering the installation of a more modern lighthouse, to be built in England and replacing the old one in December 1839, with a much greater range of light. Restoration work was carried out in the 1990s to accommodate a section of the Museu Naval e Oceanográfico (dedicated to oceanography and marine cartography), before housing the current Museu Nautico da Bahia, devoted to underwater archaeology and housing replica ships and a few nautical charts. An ideal place to enjoy the sunset.