Fuerte Bulnes is a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

located by the Strait of Magellan, 62 km south of

Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (; historically Sandy Point in English) is the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. The city was officially renamed as Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to "Punta Are ...

. It was founded in 1843 on a rocky hill at Punta Santa Ana, and named after President

Manuel Bulnes Prieto Manuel Bulnes Prieto (; December 25, 1799 – October 18, 1866) was a Chilean military and political figure. He was twice President of Chile, from 1841 to 1846 and from 1846 to 1851. Born in Concepción, he served as the president of Chile bet ...

. The fort was built to further the president's colonization policies in Southern Chile and protect the Strait of Magellan. He directed construction to ward off claims by other nations. Chiloé's intendant (governor), Domingo Espiñeira Riesco, ordered construction of a schooner to sail to that location. He originally commissioned it in the president's name, but Bulnes had the ship renamed ''

Ancud Ancud () is a city in southern Chile located in the northernmost part of the island and province of Chiloé, in Los Lagos Region. It is the second largest city of Chiloé Archipelago after Castro. The city was established in 1768 to function as ...

'', for where it was built. She sailed from

on May 22, 1843, under command of John Williams Wilson, a British-born

Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Origins and the War ...

officer. ''Ancud'' arrived at Punta Santa Ana on September 21, 1843, about 2 km from

Puerto del Hambre Ciudad del Rey Don Felipe, also known as Puerto del Hambre (Port Famine), is a historic settlement site at ''Buena Bay'' (locally known as Mansa Bay) on the north shore of the Strait of Magellan approximately south of Punta Arenas in the Reg ...

. Williams directed the construction of a fort here, using mainly logs and dirt and grass 'bricks'. Although the president wanted to establish a town, the harsh weather prevented attracting a large and stable population. As a result, after six years, the local governor founded

in the Sandy Point area in 1848. Once people had migrated there, military forces abandoned and destroyed the fort. Lieutenant Cambiazo supervised its burning. Between 1941 and 1943, the government directed the fort to be reconstructed as a historic monument. The replica includes the church, chaplain's quarters, jail, powder magazine, post office and stables. It was declared a national monument in 1968. Today, it is administered by a private company.

References

Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos, Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile, Nueva York: D. Appleton y Compania, 1899, pg. 582 "Puerto del Hambre"
* {{coord, 53, 37.8, S, 70, 55.1, W, display=title, region:CL_type:landmark_source:GNS-enwiki, name=Fuerte Bulnes 19th-century fortifications in Chile Buildings and structures in Magallanes Region Populated places established in 1843 Strait of Magellan Tourist attractions in Magallanes Region National Monuments of Chile 1843 establishments in Chile Coastal fortifications in Chile Brunswick Peninsula