O Forte São Luís e suas temporalidades

Abstract

This paper studies the temporalities of Fort São Luís, ground zero of the capital. Built by the French and Tupinamba Indians in 1612, it symbolizes the founding of Equinoctial France. Three years later, the colony is taken by the Portuguese, who maintain the fortress to defend the territory, but rebuild its structure in stone and lime. In the seventeenth century, the fortification was responsible for guiding the growth of the city. The territory expanded under the layout of Portuguese engineer Frias de Mesquita, who drew a checkered mesh. This setting remains intact in the historic center of the capital. In contrast, Fort São Luís is currently disfigured. A striking and imposing place in the colonial period, the structure was transformed into a stretch of Beira Mar Avenue. This research aims to rescue the history of Fortaleza, study its phases, and understand its meaning for society today. The work was supported by bibliographical research, historical documents, speeches of provincial presidents, reports of historians and memorialists, to investigate the past of the Fort and revive its memory. Fort São Luís has become a non-place in the current urban scene, and its elements go unnoticed in space.