The Fortaleza del Cerro, also known as Fortaleza General Artigas, is a fortress situated in
Montevideo,
Uruguay overlooking the
Bay of Montevideo. It belongs to the ''barrio'' of
Casabó, at the west of
Villa del Cerro
Villa del Cerro is a ''barrio'' (neighbourhood or district) of Montevideo, Uruguay.
Location
This barrio shares borders with Casabó to the west, La Paloma to the north, the Pantanoso Creek to the northeast, the Bay of Montevideo to the east a ...
. It holds a dominant position on the highest hill of the department of Montevideo (popularly known as Cerro de Montevideo) with an altitude of 134 meters above sea level, on the opposite side of the bay.
Its function was to defend the population of Montevideo and its port, on the
río de la Plata. Governor
Francisco Javier de Elío ordered construction in 1809 and it was completed in 1839;
this was the last Spanish fort built in Uruguay. It has housed the Military Museum since 1916.
Monument and Sight
It has been a National Monument since 1931
and has housed a military museum since 1916.
Today it is a well-known attraction for tourists visiting Montevideo.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Uruguay
References
External links
www.uruguaytotal.com/virtual/cerro(Spanish)
(Spanish)
(Spanish)
Forts in Uruguay
Buildings and structures in Montevideo
Monuments and memorials in Montevideo
Lighthouses in Uruguay
Villa del Cerro
Military and war museums in Uruguay
1802 establishments in Uruguay
José Gervasio Artigas
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