The Fortress of Sao Francisco do Penedo (in Portuguese, Forte de São Francisco do Penedo) is located in the port city of Luanda

Luanda

Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...

, Angola

Angola

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...

, at coordinates 8°46′23"S 13°17′10"E.

History

In the 17th Century, by order of Philip III of Spain

Philip III of Spain

Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...

, a Commission was created to study how the strategic port city of Luanda

Luanda

Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...

 could be fortified.

One of the expected buildings to protect the city of Luanda

Luanda

Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...

, was the Fortress of Penedo. So, the Fortress would come to guarantee the safety of European occupation, giving resistance to the network of the traffic of the slaves, who were sent to America, from the harbour of Luanda.

The Fortress of Penedo was, since its first building, one of the keys of the Luanda harbour protection. And secretly it cantoned the slaves and assured their sending to the lands of "New World" (America).

The new fortress was built between 1765 and 1766, and was also used as Prison of the Portuguese Political Police.

This Fortress is badly preserved due to its age and its activity as a Prison.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 World Heritage Tentative List on November 22, 1996 in the Cultural category.