Forte Real de São Filipe is a 16th century fortress in the city of

Cidade Velha Cidade Velha ( Portuguese for "old city", also: ''Santiago de Cabo Verde'') is a city Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, who ...

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

. It is located on a plateau above the town centre, 120 meters above sea level. The historic centre of Cidade Velha is an UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

since June 2009. The fort was part of a system of defence for the city, which also included six smaller forts on the coast and a wall along the port.Cidade Velha, Centre historique de Ribeira Grande
Proposition d’inscription sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial, p. 24-28

History

The fortress was built under

Philip I of Portugal Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal fro ...

between 1587 and 1593, little after

Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 ...

's 1585 raid of Santiago. It completed the existing defence system, consisting of the older forts of ''São Louren