Fortress of Sao Miguel

Luanda, Angola

June 28, 2024

Built on the highest point in the vicinity in 1576 CE is the Portuguese fortress of Saint Michael, meant to defend from marauding French, Spanish and Dutch. In its lifetime it has morphed from the original rectangular shape to its current polygon and has been a self-contained town to a slave depot to a prison for Portuguese convicts exiled to the colonies. Only very recently has it become the museum for military prowess.

Up the hill and through the star-shaped entrance I enter the courtyard. There are a couple of planes and several cannons on display, from comparatively recent times. A statue of a woman graces the entrance to the long tunnel-like passage leading to the interior. Raina Ginga was a queen who had defended her kingdom against the Portuguese and had reigned long despite assassination attempts. This snippet of history I had not known before. Both side walls of the tunnel are covered with photos, some old, but mostly from 2023. Most intriguing is a wood carving showing the events of August, 1648 CE.

A squat building with thick walls is nestled in the central courtyard inside, surrounded by statues of Portuguese kings, explorers and noblemen. Inside the building, curved ceilings hover over glass display cases with rifles and guns and bayonets. Far more interesting are the blue and white tiled walls. The outer walls show the history of Angola and the interior has all the wildlife Angola once had. The tiles look strangely familiar and then I realize, these are exactly the same colors and style as ones I had seen in Porto, Portugal! Especially on the walls of the train station with its story-telling panels made of similar tiles. No surprise, but I smile at the similarity.

The perimeter wall is studded with cannons with yet more are on display from recent times, specially the war with South Africa. I may be a history buff, but my interest lies much farther back in antiquity by several thousand years.