Category Archives: Forts

Fort San Antonio Abad (Manila)

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Fort San Antonio Abad

Relatively unknown to many, Manila has another Spanish-era fort, aside from the well-known Fort Santiago, located south of Intramuros and this one is not easy to visit as it is located within the confines of the high-security Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)  Complex – the 1.2-hectare, trapezoid-shaped  and equally historic but hidden Fort San Antonio Abad.

Exploring the fort with our guides

Considering its current location, tightly sandwiched between the imposing main tower of the BSP and the old Manila Metropolitan Museum  Building (now transferred to its new home at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City), the fort is understandably overlooked these days.

Check out “Metropolitan Museum of Manila”

Stairs leading up to the ramparts

Visits to the fort are by appointment and my son Jandy and I had to arrange our visit in advance via email.  It was only upon approval of our request that we were allowed to proceed to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex.  Upon registering ourselves, we met up with our guides, Ms. Regyn Avena and Mr. Lauro E. de los Santos, Jr. who were to tour us around the fort.

The view of the South Wall from the East Bastion

Also known as Fort Malate or Fort San Antonio, this fortification was completed in 1584 and named in honor of its patron saint, Saint Anthony the Abbot (feast day: January 17).   Like the walled city, the fort evolved into a variety of stone fortress popularized by renowned French military architect Sebastien Le Prestre de Vauban, with two signature bastions at the corners of the canted walls.

The canted South Wall

Though relatively small in size, it certainly occupies a significant place in the history of Manila as it played a role in three great conflicts – the Seven Years’ War,e vents prior and during the Philippine–American War and World War II.  Located in what was then a separate hamlet of Malate, the fort served as a rear protection for the Manila as well as to guard the Manila–Cavite route.

The West Bastion at the North Wall

The Spanish used the fort as a polvorista (“little fortress” or gunpowder magazine to safely store gunpowder) known as Fuerte de Polverina.  On September 26, 1762, during the Seven Years’ War, it was captured by British forces under Rear-Admiral Samuel Cornish and Brigadier-General William Draper when they invaded Manila. They transformed the fort into a garrison, setting up an artillery battery.  From here, the British forces launched their land offensive against the Spaniards defending Intramuros.

The exquisitely designed North Entrance

On March 26, 1764, upon the end of the British occupation of Manila, the fort was returned to Spanish control and rebuilt, again becoming a gunpowder storage facility. On August 13, 1898, after bombardment by U.S. warships during the sham Battle of Manila, the fort was captured and the first American flag hoisted by the First Battalion of the First Colorado Volunteer Regiment under the command of Lt.-Col. Henry Bayard McCoy.

The grassy courtyard. On the left are the square embrasures

Also, during the Philippine–American War, U.S. military authorities used the prison to carry out multiple executions by hanging. Harry Cline, an American civilian under the employment of the United States Army, was the first American to be executed by U.S. authorities after he shot, with a revolver, four small Filipino boys from Parañaque gathering grass, wounding three and killing the fourth (Agaton Rivera) on April 8, 1901. Cline was tried by an American military court, found guilty of murder and three counts of assault with intent to kill, and sentenced to death by hanging which was carried out  on September 20, 1901.

The fort ramparts

During World War II, Fort San Antonio Abad was seized by occupying Japanese  troops and it was used as a bunker, with a cannon installed. During the Liberation of Manila, the fort suffered considerable damage.  After World War II, the very young Offshore Patrol, with the Manila Naval Station (MNS) as its main support unit, set up its headquarters at the fort. They vacated the place in 1965.

The now unused well with windlass

On June 1974, coinciding with the establishment of the new main office complex of the BSP, the restoration of the fort was again started (the first restoration was at the beginning of the 19th century) by Architect Carlos E. Da Silva, during the term of former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Gregorio S. Licaros, and completed in 1976.

1976 Restoration Plaque

This battle-weary and proud structure is now a beautiful little park and events place with paved walkways and street lamps. Where guards once stood, there are now roaming gardeners keeping the manicured garden trim. Within the garden is a now unused well with a windlass for raising water.

National Historical Treasure plaque

In 2018, together with Intramuros (collectively known as the “Fortifications of Manila”), the fort was named a National Cultural Treasure (NCT), for their architectural, historical, scientific and archaeological significance, by the National Museum of the Philippines. Both forts were essential parts of the defense of Spanish Colonial Manila and scientifically important in terms of military and structural engineering. The NCT marker is now installed there and in Plaza Roma in Intramuros.

The unadorned south entrance. In my opinion, this entrance seems like a recent addition as there as its walls show no signs of weathering

At the fort’s south entrance, two historical plaques (the 1976 renovation plaque and the NCT plaque) are mounted.  A Historical Research and Markers Committee (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) marker, installed  in 1937, is mounted on the wall to the right of this entrance, is topped by a semicircular arch niche, flanked by Doric columns, with an antique wooden statue of St. Anthony Abbot within.

Niche with statue of St. Anthony Abbot

In turn, the niche is framed by a decorative moldings ending in scrolls. The original segmental arched main entrance of the fort, with its quaint iron gate, faces north.  This latter entrance is decorated with a bas-relief of the traditional Spanish coat of arms of Leon (the lion) and Castille (the castle) and topped by finials.

Bas-relief bearing the Spanish coat of arms at the North Entrance

The fort can be quickly explored in less than half an hour. At the lower level of the fort are a series of square embrasures, openings in fort’s walls where cannons can be fired.  These openings, flared outward to enlarge their field of fire, once faced the sea but are now facing the back of the museum.

One of the fort’s embrasures

You can walk around the entire wall perimeter via very narrow, 2-foot wide ramparts which can be reached via stone steps. Standing on either side of the fort, on arrowhead-shaped bulwarks (East and West), are two large, sea-facing naval guns which were damaged when the American Air Force bombed the fort during the 1945 Liberation of Manila in World War II.

William Armstrong gun at the East Bastion

Cast by Sir William Armstrong & Co. (England), these two 19th century, rifled breech-loading guns, weighing 20,238 and 20,220 pounds respectively, had a bore of 8 inches.  The original gun carriages are now gone (probably destroyed during the bombing or have rotted away) and have been replaced by concrete supports.

Pockmarked William Armstrong gun at West Bastion

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS:

After our visit to the fort, I can’t help but notice the differences between the plain looking south entrance and the exuberantly decorated north entrance.  Plus, I also can’t help but notice the seemingly misplaced bas-re;ief, with its statued niche, to the right of the south entrance.  This has got me thinking.

Could the south entrance have been originally located just below this bas-relief? It would make sense as statues of saints in niches or in bas-reliefs are usually placed above the entrances of churches and forts (even Fort Santiago has a bas relief of St. James the Moor Slayer, its patron saint, above its main entrance) to watch over those who enter.  Probably the lower and narrower entrance (suitable for wagons), with its pilasters, must have been walled up and a new, simple but higher and wider square opening was created, during the American era, a few meters beside it, possibly to allow tall and wide-bodied vehicles such as trucks to pass through.  I wonder ……..

For me, this makes sense…..

Fort San Antonio Abad: Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Malate, Manila 1004.  E-mail corporateaffairs@bsp.gov.ph (to arrange for a visit).

Ten Things You May Not Know of Corregidor (Cavite))

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The author beside Battery Hearn on Corregidor Island

Extracted from my article published in the Business Mirror last May 10, 2015

On the 79rd anniversary of the Fall of Corregidor, here are 10 facts that Filipinos may not know about the island fortress of Corregidor and its adjoining islands.

  • The cement for concrete used to line the 30 to 40 ft. thick walls of Malinta Tunnel (an 836-ft. long, fishbone-shaped system of bombproof tunnels with three 227-m. by 8-m. main sections and 24 49-m. by 4.5-m. laterals) was, ironically, Asada cement bought from the Japanese.
  • Corregidor and Caballo islands are believed to be the exposed rim of a volcano that form part of a potentially active (according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) volcanic caldera. With a rim elevation of 173 m. (568 ft.) and a base diameter of 4 kms. (2.5 mi.), it has no known eruptions in the Holocene Period (around 10,000 years ago) as it last eruption was about 1 million years based on the age of deposits.

Corregidor – part of a rim of a volcano

  • Malinta Tunnel was bored out of Malinta Hill using “forced labor”in the form of 1,000 convicts from the Old Bilibid Prison in Manila, most of which were serving life sentences. The Philippine Commonwealth offered them as equity in the construction of Malinta Tunnel Project.

Malinta Tunnel – built with convict labor and Japanese Asada cement

  • The island’s name was either derived from the Spanish name for “corrector” (one who checks and corrects papers of incoming ships) or from the Spanish word corregidor (the man who heads the corregimiento or unpacified military zone).
  • Though Corregidor is much nearer geographically (it is 3 nautical miles away with 30 minutes travel time from Brgy. Cabcaben) and historically to Mariveles (Bataan), it belongs to Cavite, being under the territorial jurisdiction and administrative management of Cavite City.   When you are on the island you can see more of Bataan than Cavite City.

The nearby Bataan peninsula as seen from Corregidor

  • The 880-m. (1,520-ft.) long, three-storey high and hurricane-proof “Mile Long” Barracks, though less than a third of a mile long, is reputedly the world’s longest military barracks. It housed 8,000 men and the headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Mile Long Barracks – the longest in the world

  • The flagpole where the American flag was lowered during the May 6, 1942 surrender to the Japanese and raised during the March 2, 1945 liberation is actually a mast of a Spanish warship Reina Cristinawhich was captured by Admiral George Dewey after the May 1, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay and put up in Corregidor.  The American flag was lowered for the last time on October 12, 1947 and the Philippine flag hoisted in its stead.

The flagpole from the Spanish warship Reina Cristina

  • Corregidor had “disappearing” gun batteries. These disappearing guns were mounted on a “disappearing carriage” which enabled a gun to hide from direct fire and observation. Battery Crockett and Cheney each had two 12” seacoast guns while Battery Grubbs had two 10” guns.

The disappearing gun of Battery Crockett

  • Fort Drum, the “Concrete Battleship,” located 7 mi. southeast of Corregidor, must be unprecedented in the history of military fortifications. Located on the former small, rocky El Fraile Island, this heavily fortified 240-ft. long, 160-ft. wide and 40-ft. high citadel bristled with 11 guns (including two batteries with rotating turrets with two 14” guns). It was built from 1909 to 1919 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who flattened the island and reconstructed it to resemble the forepart of a battleship, with one end flat and the other shaped like a prow.
  • Though Corregidor and the adjoining islands bristled with 56 coastal guns and mortars in 23 seacoast batteries and 76 (28 3-inch and 48 50-caliber) anti-aircraft guns in 13 batteries, with artillery models dating back to 1890, only the eight 12-inch mortars of Battery Geary and the four 12-inch mortars of Way proved to be the best and most effective for the defense of Corregidor during the Japanese siege.

Battery Way – one of only two gun batteries effective against the Japanese

Corregidor Island: Cavite City, Cavite

My List of the Ten Allegedly Haunted Places in the Philippines

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Here’s a list of ten of the scariest places I have visited in the country. One is located in La Union (Pindangan Church Ruins), two in Baguio City (Hyatt Terraces Hotel and SM City Baguio) in Benguet, one in Pampanga (Clark Air Base), one in Mountain Province (Sagada), one off Cavite (Corregidor Island) and the rest in Metro Manila. Though I haven’t really experienced any paranormal activity in these sites, probably because I don’t have a third eye, many others have.

  • My wife Grace and I stayed in the 12-storey, 303 -room HYATT TERRACES HOTEL for three days in April 1986.   Located on a pine tree-clad hill along South Drive, near Camp John Hay, the Hyatt Terraces Hotel was said to be the grandest hotel outside Metro Manila. At 4:26 PM, on July 16, 1990, a little over 4 years after our stay, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Luzon, killing 1,621 people.  Again, I happened to be in the city, with my family and some relatives, on the day of the devastating 1990 Luzon Earthquake but were lucky enough to have left the city before lunch. In Baguio City, 28 buildings collapsed during the earthquake.  One of the most prominent buildings destroyed was the Hyatt Terraces Hotel when the central wing’s terraced front collapsed, like an accordion, onto the hotel lobby, killing 98 employees and guests. In the aftermath of that tragic earthquake, many of those listed as “missing” were never found and many say that there are still bodies in the debris of the hotel site and the spirits of these victims have never moved on. Its tragic history has surely contributed to its terrifying reputation.

Check out “Hyatt Terraces Hotel“

Hyatt Terraces Hotel circa 1986

Today, its old fountain and a gated fence are all that remains of the still undeveloped site of the Hyatt Terraces. Now said to be haunted, strange lights and ghostly apparitions are said to have been seen around the empty lot.  There was once a bus stop in front of the gate and motorists, driving along South Drive, have told stories of strange apparitions of the spirits of dead employees there. Some passersby in the area at night have also heard cries for help and seen figures against the spotlight that illuminates the area. In fact, for those driving along South Drive, the directed procedure is to honk your horn when passing beside the former Hyatt location, lest they run over a spirit crossing the street. Aromatic smells, coming out of nowhere, are also consistently reported.

  • SM CITY BAGUIO (a favorite shopping venue of mine while in the city), opened in 2003, was erected on the site where the former 4-storey, wood-framed, 423-room Pines Hotel used to overlook Session Road. On October 23, 1984, at about 11:30 PM, a 6-hour blaze gutted this government-owned hotel. To escape the thick smoke and flames, most of the dead (17 were killed, including 4 Americans) and 46 injured leaped from windows of this American Colonial-style, hillside hotel while others were seen slipping from rescue ropes.

Check out “SM City Baguio“

SM City Baguio

Today, mall visitors have reportedly seen faces in bathroom mirrors that would not be there a second later. One patron, in the ladies’ room, gave a photographic description of a bloodied fireman (The Baguio City Fire Department lost four firefighters in the blaze).

  • The MANILA FILM CENTER had its beginnings in 1981 when then First Lady Imelda R. Marcos started the Manila International Film Festival (MIFF). Slated to start on January 18, 1982, 4,000 laborers working, round the clock, in 3 shifts in the rush to complete the project  in time for the MIFF. Tragedy struck, on November 17, 1981, shortly before 3 AM, when scaffolding and wooden support for part of the second basement collapsed, causing at least 169 graveyard shift workers to fall to the orchestra below and be buried or trapped under wet, quick-drying cement.

Check out “The Urban Legend That is the Manila Film Center“

Manila Film Center

Rather than halt construction to rescue survivors and retrieve the bodies of dead workmen, cement ordered to be poured into the orchestra, entombing the fallen workmen, some of them still alive. The MIFF was to last another year but, instead of quality films, pornographic films were shown in an effort to gain a larger audience and, perhaps, to make up for the first festival’s financial losses. Later, in 1984, I would watch the premiere of Tikoy Aguiluz’ startling, controversial but highly-acclaimed first full-length film “Boatman” (Ang Bangkero), in its uncut version, at this very venue. Today, it is the venue of the Amazing Show, a Las Vegas-like song and dance extravaganza  where all the performers are transgenders.

The place, said to be haunted as well as cursed, is incredibly spooky. Various ghostly manifestations were reported within the building on the site, including poltergeist activity, apparitions; mysterious hearing of cries and moans; bleeding walls; and hands sticking out from under doors. The ghosts of those who died are said to roam the area, looking for live bodies to possess and take over as their own.

  • The UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES Diliman Campus , where my wife  and I graduated (with a degree of B.S. Architecture) has had a long history of alleged haunting, with a lot of paranormal hot spots. The Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, at the second floor of Palma Hall, is the residence of a  ghost named “Marisa,”  said to be a famous star of the university’s theater productions back in the 1970s who was eventually overshadowed by younger, more talented newcomers. Overwhelmed by grief and jealousy, she killed herself, in the most dramatic way possible, by hanging herself onstage, in costume. She’s known for making her presence felt by haunting the stage, the rest room and her old dressing room, joining the chorus during performances and, sometimes, showing up onstage.

Benitez Hall

Benitez Hall, home to the College of Education and one of the oldest buildings on campus and, naturally, has gained the reputation as one of the most haunted. A ghost, with blood red eyes, is said to wanders the halls. Kalayaan Hall, a residence hall exclusively for freshmen, has a ghost of a woman who supposedly shows up in the mirror facing the stairs to the second floor of the girls’ wing.  Abelardo Hall, home of the College of Music, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a girl vocalizing, or playing the piano or the gamelan in the middle of the night.

Melchor Hall

The lights on the top floor of Melchor Hall, the College of Engineering Building, where our college was then housed (the college now has its own building), was, for some reason, never turned off, the reason being that, sometimes, the lights there inexplicably turn to red. Many of my classmates have also seen a “Lady in White” come in and out of the corridor walls

  • The PINDANGAN CHURCH RUINS, the picturesque, roofless remains of a small vine-covered brick and coral church (the first in City of San Fernando, La Union) which I visited way back in 2004, is located 500 m. off the National Highway, near Camp Oscar Florendo. The nuns of the Carmelite Monastery of the Holy Family are the caretakers of these church ruins.

Check out “Pindangan Church Ruins“

Pindangan Church Ruins

It is said to be the home of the sole ghost of a headless stabbed priest who prowls the night, either carrying his severed head or searching for his head. Some have also reported hearing his head calling out for his body to find it. The wind here is known to whisper strange malediction to those that disrespect the location.  My picture of the site was featured in an episode of “Ang Pinaka: Scary Places in the Philippines,” aired during the 6:30 PM GMA News TV last October 22, Sunday.

  • The University of Santo Tomas, where my daughter Cheska graduated (with a degree of B.S. Medical Technology), served as an internment camp during the World War II.  Many prisoners died here of starvation and illness, and is reported by believers to be haunted. An alleged mass grave is located near the UST Museum.  One of the restroom cubicles in the Main Building is also haunted by a female student who hung herself.

Main Building of the University of Sto. Tomas

Other paranormal hot spots are the UST Hospital (haunted by a ghost wearing a red tag, which only corpses in the morgue section wear), St. Raymund’s Building (the comfort rooms on the first floor are haunted by the ghost of a girl was said to have committed suicide because she was bullied for her physical appearance), the Albertus Magnus Building (the Conservatory of Music where the piano is heard playing by itself) and Benavides Park (a.k.a. Lover’s Lane) where, at past midnight, students are greeted by a man wearing a Dominican habit who would later disappear (Sometimes, unfortunate couples hanging out in the park’s benches at night, have also heard a disembodied voice singing mass songs).

  • CLARK AIR BASE, being an American military installation, experienced major bombing from the Japanese during World War II. There are a number of reminders of that bloody past that still exist today and these locations are some of the most haunted in the Philippines.

Clark Museum

The area around the abandoned Clark Air Base Hospital has been rendered off limits to everyone as inhabitants have witnessed apparitions of violent spirits and heard mysterious voices.

Clark Cemetery

Early morning joggers have also reported hearing party music and excited talk coming from inside the obviously empty Home Plate canteen.  At the Clark Museum, the ghost of a serviceman who committed suicide by hanging himself still haunts the place.

Check out “Clark Museum“

  • SAGADA, in Mountain Province, has an authentic culture dealing with death, free of Western influence. The caves of the town, in particular, are rumored to be site of ghostly mischief. According to the locals, whispery voices are heard and wayward shadows or apparitions are seen among the Hanging Coffins as well as graves up in the Echo Valley.

Hanging Coffins

The Igorots, however, generally say that if you show some respect and leave the coffins alone, you’ll make it out of the valley unscathed. At Sumaguing Cave, locals believe that the cave is haunted by the spirits of their ancestors.  I have explored this cave twice and, each time, I always felt an otherworldly feeling as I entered.

Check out “Back to Sumaging Cave“

  • Historic CORREGIOR ISLAND, an island of history and heroism at the entrance of Manila Bay, has played a major role during World War II. Many Filipino and American soldiers died in its defense. During the liberation, the Japanese defenders here committed suicide via harakiri, jumping into the sea or blowing themselves up instead of capture or surrender. The ghosts of Corregidor’s World War II dead were also joined by Muslim soldiers who, in 1968,  were training in Corregidor for a  planned invasion of Sabah in Malaysia but were exterminated during the infamous March 18, 1968 Jabidah Massacre.

Hospital Ruins

At the Hospital Ruins, tourists who passed by have heard footsteps, rumblings of normal hospital activities, and wails of people.

One of the laterals of Malinta Tunnel. Notice the orbs?

Around the bunker area inside the Malinta Tunnel, shouts of people grimacing in pain can also be heard. Witnesses have also reported hearing eerie sounds and seeing a spirit near by. Manifestations would also appear in photos and videos. 

Check out “Ghost Hunting in Corregidor“

  • In INTRAMUROS,  where the historical and the supernatural intersect, the possibility of ghost sightings in the oldest part of Manila is real. It attracts ghosts and ghost hunters in search of kapres, white ladies, demonic spirits, and other entities. In the dying days of World War II, Japanese soldiers reportedly massacred men, women and children in Baluarte de Dilao.

Baluarte de San Diego

Baluarte de San Diego, known as the break-up park for being the site where many a relationship met their demise, is where a crying White Lady often makes appearances.

Manila Cathedral

The Aduana (Customs House) Building, which housed several government offices, is the most haunted building in Intramuros. Many people believe its demonic entities takes lives.  At Plaza Mexico, there have been sightings of reapers, or hooded figures who chase after wandering spirits. Many of the retail and commercial spaces along the wall of Puerta de Sta. Isabel have now been abandoned, supposedly because of numerous reports of hauntings. An ordinary-looking tree, along Arzobispo Street, has earned the gruesome nickname the Suicide Tree after a student, supposedly from Mapua Institute of Technology, killed herself by hanging.  Headless priests supposedly make regular appearances at the Manila Cathedral.

Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago, where National Hero Jose Rizal was jailed, was used by the Japanese as a prison and torture chamber during World War II.  It is imprinted with the agony and sufferings of its many prisoners and is now also extremely haunted with ghosts of prisoners who drowned in its underground dungeons.

Check out “RevisitingFort Santiago“

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (Baltimore, Maryland, USA)

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Fort McHenry National Monument and Historical Shrine

This historical American coastal pentagonal bastion fort is best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from the September 13–14, 1814 attack by the British navy from Chesapeake Bay. The fort, a prominent tourist destination, is visited each year by thousands of visitors who come to see the “Birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner.”

Entrance to Fort McHenry

It’s also a popular spot for Baltimoreans to run, walk their dogs, enjoy a picnic or just sit by the waters of Chesapeake Bay  and enjoy the breeze and views of the city.

View of Baltimore Harbor as seen from the fort

Listed are some interesting trivia regarding the fort:

  • This was named after early American statesman James McHenry (November 16, 1753 – May 3, 1816), a Scots-Irish immigrant and surgeon-soldier who was a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland and a signer of the United States Constitution. Afterwards, he was appointed United States Secretary of War (1796–1800), serving under Presidents George Washington and John Adams.
  • Fort McHenry was built on the site of the former Fort Whetstone which stood on Whetstone Point (today’s residential and industrial area of Locust Point) peninsula, which juts into the opening of Baltimore Harbor between the Basin (today’s Inner Harbor) and Northwest branch on the north side and the Middle and Ferry (now Southern) branches of the Patapsco River on the south side. The fort defended Baltimore from 1776 to 1797.
  • The new fort, built to improve the defenses of the increasingly important Port of Baltimore from future enemy attacks, is a bastioned pentagon, surrounded by a dry moat (a deep, broad trench) that served as a shelter from which infantry might defend the fort from a land attack. In case of such an attack on this first line of defense, each point, or bastion could provide a crossfire of cannon and small arms fire.
  • During the War of 1812, the 5.2 m. × 7.6 m. (17 ft. by 25 ft.) storm flag flown over Fort McHenry during the bombardment was replaced early on the morning of September 14, 1814 with a larger 9.1 m. × 12.8 m. (30 ft. by 42 ft.) garrison flag, sewn by Mary Pickersgill for $405.90, which signaled American victory over the British in the Battle of Baltimore. Francis Scott Key, a Washington lawyer who had come to Baltimore to negotiate the release of Dr. William Beanes, a civilian prisoner of war, witnessed the bombardment from a nearby truce ship. The sight of the ensign inspired him  to write the poem “Defense of Fort M’Henry.” The poem was later set to the tune “To Anacreon in Heaven” and become known as the “Star Spangled Banner,” the national anthem of the United States.
  • It has become national tradition that when a new flag is designed, it first flies over Fort McHenry. The first official 49- and 50-star American flags were flown over the fort. The flags are still located on the premises.
  • In the event of a national emergency, the United States Codecurrently authorizes Fort McHenry’s closure to the public for use by the military for the duration of such an emergency.
  • Every September, the City of Baltimore commemorates Defenders Day in honor of the Battle of Baltimore. It is the biggest celebration of the year at the fort, it is accompanied by a weekend of programs, events and fireworks.
  • In 2013, under the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine was honored with its own quarter.

The barracks

Here is a timeline of the fort’s history:

  • Designed by Frenchman Jean Foncin in 1798, the fort was built between 1798 and 1800.
  • During World War I, in order to convert the entire facility into an enormous U.S. Army hospital for the treatment of troops returning from the European conflict, an additional one hundred odd buildings (only a few of them remain) were built on the land surrounding the fort.
  • On September 13, 1814, beginning at 6 AM, British warships, under the command of Vice-Admiral Alexander Cochrane, continuously bombarded Fort McHenry, under the command of Major George Armistead (April 10, 1780 – April 25, 1818) of the 3rd Regiment of U. S. Artillery, for 25 hours. The British ships were unable to pass Fort McHenry and penetrate Baltimore Harbor because of its defenses which included a chain of 22 sunken ships and the American’s 8, 11 and 16 kg. (18, 24 and 32-pounder) cannons.  The British guns had a range of 3 kms. (2 miles) and their rockets had a 2.8 km. (1.75-mile) range, neither of which, fired at maximum range, were accurate. At one point during the bombardment, a bomb crashed through the fort’s powder magazine but,  fortunately for the Americans, either the rain extinguished the fuse or the bomb was a dud.
  • On the morning of September 14, the British, having depleted their ammunition, ceased their attack. Only one British warship, a bomb vessel, received a direct hit from the fort’s return fire, which wounded one crewman. The Americans lost four killed (including Private William Williams, an African-American soldier, and a woman who was cut in half by a bomb as she carried supplies to the troops) and 24 wounded.
  • During the American Civil War, Fort McHenry served as a military prison, confining  Confederate soldiers as well as a large number of Maryland political figures (including newly elected Baltimore Mayor George William Brown, the city council, the new police commissioner, George P. Kane; members of the Maryland General Assembly; several newspaper editors and owners; John Eager Howard,(local hero of the Revolutionary War; and Francis Scott Key‘s grandson, Francis Key Howard) who were suspected of being Confederate At this time, Fort McHenry also served to train artillery (hence the Rodman guns presently located and displayed at the fort).
  • During World War II, Fort McHenry was leased to the Coast Guard for port security work and as a fire training station aboard ships for nearly 28,000 U.S. Coast Guardsmen.
  • In 1925, the fort was made a national park
  • In 1931, the fort was finally deactivated and transferred to the National Park Service .
  • On August 11, 1939, it was redesignated a “National Monument and Historic Shrine, the only such doubly designated place in the United States.
  • On October 15, 1966, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • On September 10–16, 2014, the Star Spangled Spectacular was held at Fort McHenry to celebrate the bicentennial of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. The event included a parade of tall ships, a large fireworks show and the US Navy’s Blue Angels.

The Visitor Center

The kid-friendly Visitor Center has a Park Ranger-staffed information desk, book and souvenir store, a large museum, restrooms and a meeting place for Ranger programs.

The Park Ranger-staffed information desk

The kid-friendly Visitor Center has a Park Ranger-staffed information desk, book and souvenir store, a large museum, restrooms and a meeting place for Ranger programs.

Francis Scott Key and the Birth of the Star Spangled Banner. At right is the original draft of the song

The museum is divided into three main areas of interest. The first section, “Francis Scott Key and the Birth of the Star Spangled Banner,” is devoted to Francis Scott Key, the Star Spangled Banner, and the flag. An interactive touch-screen presentation details Key’s schedule leading up to his writing of the poem.

The Star Spangled Banner and the War of 1812.  At the right is a uniform, 2 muskets (one with bayonet), powder horn and personal items of a soldier

The second area of the museum, where I spent about an hour, focused on the War of 1812. Its interactive touch-screen presentation, a key exhibit, allowed me to read about every battle in the war. Also on exhibit are military memorabilia such as uniforms and a cannon as well as personal items used by soldiers.

A cannon

A second section of the museum covers the Battle of Baltimore, with its centerpiece being a 10-minute film about the Battle of Baltimore, a combination of live action and CGI animated battle maps, and ends with an inspirational rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” with the audience standing and singing along, as the curtain rises to reveal the flag at Fort McHenry outside.

L-R: Kyle, Cheska and Grace.  Behind is a copy of the original storm flag of the garrison

Film showings occur at the top of every hour and every half hour and its movie screen is part of the overall museum.  During the showing,  the lights were turned down, rendering the rest of the museum essentially shut down during this time. Only the exhibits that are backlit, such as the interactive touch-screens, can be seen.

Jandy at the entrance of the fort

The actual wheelchair accessible and stroller friendly fort is just a short walk from the Visitor Center.  Outside the fort were re-enacters such as women hand washing the service men’s clothes, sewing a flag and learning how to write on slate boards. Inside were probably a dozen servicemen in full dress and carrying muskets.

Women re-enacters

Servicemen in uniform

Within the fort are exhibits on a variety of topics relating to the fort and its history such as the restored Commander’s Quarters, Junior Officers’ Quarters, Guard House and the Enlisted Men’s Quarters, all mainly devoted to garrison life during its most famous period of the War of 1812; the Gunpowder Magazine  as well as the restored flag pole.  The flag flown here is not the size of the fabled Star-Spangled Banner, but is a garrison flag that is four sizes smaller. 

George Armistead

Junior Officers’ Quarters

Outside the fort proper is a reconstruction of the Upper Battery which, during the 1814 attack, was largely manned by volunteer militia artillerymen and merchant seamen (from ships within blockaded Baltimore Harbor) and armed with large-caliber smooth bore guns mounted on naval trucks or garrison carriages. They had wooden trucks with iron wheels and, to prevent their excessive recoil when fired, were attached to the wall by rope cables. 

Upper Battery

The fort also boasts a fine collection of mid-nineteenth century artillery pieces. The Lower Battery, with brick-reinforced earthen rampart (replacing the earth-and-wooden one of the War of 1812), have circa 1875 15-inch Rodman smoothbore guns of Civil War vintage that were sleeved with rifled inserts.

The author with the Rodman cannons in the background

Adjacent to Fort McHenry lies a monument of Orpheus that is dedicated to the soldiers of the fort and Francis Scott Key.

Monument of Orpheus by Charles Niehaus

Statue of Col. George Armistead

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine: 2400 East Fort Ave, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, USA. Tel: +1-410-962-4290. Open daily, 9 AM – 6 PM (5 PM in the winter), closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission: adults (US$10), children 15 years old and younger (free).

How to Get There: The fort is easily accessible by water taxi from the popular Baltimore Inner Harbor. However, to prevent abuse of the parking lots at the Fort, the National Park Service does not permit passengers to take the water taxi back to the Inner Harbor unless they have previously used it to arrive at the monument.

Porta Romana (Florence, Italy)

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Porta Romana (Roman Gate)

The Porta Romana (also known as the Porta San Pier Gattolino), the southernmost gate (with a snippet of merlonated wall) in the 13th-century walls of the Oltrarno section of Florence, stands at the confluence of a number of roads.  From the north, it is accessed by Via Romana, Via de’ Serragli, and Viale Francesco Petrarca while a central road, along the Boboli Gardens, begins near the gate and allows the inhabitants of the Pitti Palace to exit and enter Florence with minimal travel on city streets.

Beyond the gates are the Via del Poggio Imperiale and Via Senese (which leads to Siena and points south such as Rome, hence the name). The 13th century walls and gates of the city were erected with the designs of various builders including Arnolfo di Cambio (among the main contributors), with contributions by Orcagna, Giotto and others.  In the 19th century, the majority of the defensive walls of Florence were razed and only a few, and sometimes partial, gate structures were left standing including Porta San Gallo, the Tower of San Niccolò, and this gate.

According to a plaque on the external wall, the gate was erected in 1327, during construction of the last set of walls. Originally (and as demonstrated on the 1584 Map by Stefano Buonsignori), the gate had a lower outer wall with a small courtyard dominated by the larger gate we see today.

Resembling the Porta Romana of Siena, the gate, the largest and best preserved of the ancient gates and walls of Florence, had a large central entrance (which retains its original massive, iron-clad doors with their old locks and typical large bolts for decorative and pragmatic purposes) for horse-drawn carriages plus smaller lateral doors for pedestrian entry.

A weather-worn 13th-century fresco, depicting the enthroned Virgin and saints, is found at the outer arch while the interior portion of the gate has two marble plaques – one commemorating the 1515 entrance of the Medici Pope Leo X into Florence and, the other, the 1535 entry of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The gate also has a marble slab bearing the Medici coat of arms.

Piazza della Calza

When Cosimo I augmented the walls around Florence, he destroyed the Church of San Pier Gattolino that had stood at the gate site since at least 1068. The subsequent rebuilt church (also called the Parish Church of Serumido, derived from the name of Ser Umido di Domenico Grazzini, who helped to fund its rebuilding), decorated by Giusto Mariani and Romanelli, was restored in 1808, with frescoes of Giuseppe Castagnoli and Domenico Del Podestà added.

Church of San Giovanni Battista della Calza

The 14th-century church and convent of San Giusto della Calza of the Knights of Jerusalem is just outside the wall. In the center of a roundabout before the wall is a controversial modern marble statue, erected by the Italian painter, action and object artist, and art theorist Michelangelo Pistoletto, of two women named “Dietro-Front” (“Turnabout”).

Dietrofront of Michelangelo Pistoletto. Standing 6 m. tall and 4 m. wide, the sculpture consists of two figures, one vertical and one horizontal, the latter’s head resting on top of the former in a precariously unbalanced position (it is held securely in place by an internal metal structure).

Presented for the first time in 1984 at the artist’s exhibition at Forte Belvedere, the sculpture was, later, permanently placed in Piazzale di Porta Romana. Well-integrated into the city, it is now considered an iconic reference to the area of Porta Romana.

Porta Romana Roundabout

Porta Romana: Piazzale di Porta Romana, 50125 Florence, Italy

Hohensalzburg Fortress (Salzburg, Austria)

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Fortress Hohensalzburg

From Krapitelplatz (Chapter Square), we made our way towards Hohensalzburg Fortress.  The whitewashed and solidly built Hohensalzburg Fortress sits atop a rock spur on the  Festungsberg, a small hill at an altitude of 506 m. high above the rooftops of the Baroque historical district.  It can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.

Check out “Kapitelplatz”

At the “Sperrbogen” (entrance gate to the fortress grounds), we used our Salzburg Cards for free entry to the fortress and went up there via elevator.  Our card allowed us to tour the fortress’ entrance courtyards and observation tower (Footpath Ticket).

The fortress consists of various wings and a courtyard with a few shops for souvenirs and a place to get a bite to eat at the Panorama Terrace.  Cannons were placed in strategic locations on the battlements.

View of Salzburg from atop the fortress

From the fortress, we had a magnificent, 360 degree views of the Old Town of Salzburg, the Salzach River and the surrounding panorama of the Alps.

Here are some interesting trivia regarding the fortress:

  • The fortress was erected at the behest of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg who, in the Holy Roman Empire, were already powerful political figures. They expanded the castle to protect their interests.
  • With a length of 250 m. (820 ft.) and a width of 150 m. (490 ft.), it is one of the largest and best preserved medieval castles in Europe and the largest preserved fortress in Central Europe. It has 50 buildings and covers an  area of 33,000 sq. m.
  • The Austrian Nonnberg Abbey commemorative coin (the first coin of the series “Great Abbeys of Austria”), minted on April 5, 2006, shows the Benedictine convent of Nonnberg Abbey while, on the hilltop on the background, the Hohensalzburg castle and the Kajetaner church castle
  • In 1977, the Austrian Mint issued a coin for the 900th anniversary of Hohensalzburg castle.
  • The Reisszug, a very early and primitive funicular railway built in 1892 that provided freight access to the upper courtyard of the castle, still exists (albeit in updated form) and is the oldest in Austria and probably the oldest operational railway in the world.

Kyle beside one of the fortress’ cannons

The fortress had a number of museums which were not included in the Footpath ticket. The Fortress Museum  has historical exhibits that focus on the lifestyle and courtly life led by the prince archbishops and documents the history behind the building of what remains the biggest fully preserved medieval fortress in Europe.

The Marionette Museum, housed in the vaulted former gun deck (“Feuergang”), is dedicated to the “World of Marionettes.” One focus of this exhibition is the history of Salzburg itself.

The Altes Zeughaus,  an interactive exhibition at the historical Zeughaus (arsenal), shows how the defensive fortifications of Hohensalzburg developed over time with the introduction of firearms.

It documents the development of cannons, armaments and firearms, and the effects of such developments on the design of fortifications. Visitors, with the help of interactive models, can actually experiment with the various attack and defense strategies affecting medieval fortresses.

Bas relief of the coat-of-arms of Salzburg

The Museum of the Rainer Regiment, commemorating the former Salzburg house regiment (formally known as “k. u. k. Infanterieregiment ‘Erzherzog Rainer’ No. 59”), exhibits weapons, uniforms and other memorabilia from times of war and peace.

Leon Einberger Atelier

Its state apartments were primarily used for representative purposes and for festivities.  The rooms in which the archbishops would normally have lived were one floor below. The bedchamber is the most intimate room of the princely chambers.

Marionette Museum entrance

The Prince-Bishop’s magnificent state apartments, installed on the third floor, in the so-called “Hoher Stock” (high floor), were started in 1498 by Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach who, in order to gain more space, had four massive marble pillars constructed on the right-hand outer wall with a loggia added on.

St. George’s Chapel

As in the other rooms, its ceiling is coffered with each coffer being adorned with gold buttons symbolizing the stars in the sky. The 17 m. long beam, supporting the ceiling, is painted with the coat of arms of von Keutschach, together with those of the Holy Roman Empire, the most powerful German towns and the bishoprics that were connected to Salzburg. In many places in the fortress, the coat-of-arms can be found, an indication of prince-archbishop Von Keutschach’s building activity.

At a later time, Von Keutschach had one of the figure consoles in the beam ceiling removed to make room for a chapel to be built.  Its ceiling is decorated with a richly ornamented star vault while the inner part of the door at the entrance is covered with stucco. Red columns, on a high plinth with grey capitals, is shown at the painted frame.

At the tympanum, beneath the mitre, legate cross and sword, the coat of arms (a special feature is the turnip) of Salzburg and of Leonhard von Keutschach is reproduced. In the chapel’s north wall, there are two openings which made it possible to attend the church service from the side room.

The bedchamber’s original furniture and precious textiles, such as tapestry were, in the course of time, replaced by more “modern” ones. The upper part of the panels of the elaborate wainscoting (which keeps out the cold) is decorated with gilded buttons and rosettes.

Entrance to St. George’s Chapel

The now bare lower part was probably covered with leather or velvet tapestry. The toilet, a highly modern sanitary facility back in the past accessible from each floor, is basically a hole in the floor with a wooden frame and is concealed by a door.

Relief of Leonhard von Keutschach blessing the city of Salzburg

 Here is the historical timeline of the fortress:

  • In 1077, construction of the fortress began under Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein. This original design was just a basic bailey with a wooden wall.
  • In 1462, the ring walls and towers were built under Prince-Archbishop Burkhard II von Weißpriach.
  • In the 16th century, the current external bastions, added as a precaution because of fears of Turkish Invasion, were begun and completed in the 17th During his term from 1495 until 1519, Prince-ArchbishopLeonhard von Keutschach  further expanded the castle.
  • During the German Peasants’ War in 1525, the fortress came under siege (the only time in its history) when a group of miners, farmers and townspeople tried to oust Prince-Archbishop Matthäus Lang, but failed to take the castle.
  • In 1612, the deposed Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau died here in prison.
  • During the Thirty Years’ War, Archbishop Count Paris of Lodron strengthened the town’s defenses, including Hohensalzburg. He added various parts to the fortress, such as the gunpowder stores and additional gatehouses.
  • During the Napoleonic War of the Second Coalition in 1800, the fort was surrendered, without a fight, to French troops under Gen. Jean Victor Marie Moreau.  Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, the last Prince-Archbishop, fled to Vienna.
  • In the 19th century, it was used as barracks, storage depot and dungeon
  • In 1861, the castle was abandoned as a military outpost.
  • From the late 19th century onwards, Hohensalzburg castle was refurbished and became a major tourist attraction.
  • In 1892, the railway to the Hasengraben Bastion was put into operation. The former house of Johann Michael Haydns was converted into the Valley Station.
  • During World War I, it was used as a prison, holding Italian prisoners of war
  • In the 1930s, before the Anschluss with Germany, it was used as a prison for Nazi activists.

The richly decorated Golden Hall, the most magnificently furnished room of the princely chambers, indicates that the fortress served the archbishops not only as a refuge in times of crisis, but frequently also as a residence up to the 16th century. Its two long walls are taken up by richly decorated (with vines, grapes, foliage and animals) benches that used to be covered with cloth or leather, but the upholstery has not survived into the modern age. The lower part of the walls also used to be adorned in gold-embossed leather tapestry.

 

The “Salzburg Bull” (Salzburger Stier), a large aerophon of more than 200 pipes, is housed in the Krautturm (powder tower). This huge mechanical organ, built in 1502 by Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach, was renewed by Rochus Egedacher in 1735.

The “Salzburg Bull,”  played daily, from Palm Sunday to October 31, at 7 AM, 11 AM and 6 PM, thus initiates the playing of the carillon at the Residenzplatz and ends it again. One of Austria’s most famous cabaret groups is named after it.

The author (left) at Hohensalzburg Fortress. On the right is the 16th century cistern

Instead of the elevator, we exited the fortress via the Festungsbahn cable car.  Opened in 1892, the most recent renovation of the Festungsbahn took place in 2011 (two new carriages and technical upgrades to the electronic equipment).  It leads up from the town to the Hasengrabenbastei and runs every 10 minutes. The valley station is located in the heart of the historic district (No. 4 Festungsgasse).

Entrance to funicular railway

The funicular (better known as a tram or cliff lift) travels a total distance of 198.5 m.  (beginning at 437 m. and rising to 536 m.) and our ride lasted just under one minute and, from its big observation windows, we were treated to fabulous and sensational views extending across beautiful downtown Salzburg City to the surrounding mountains.

The funicular railway

After our funicular ride, we dropped by the Rdzeniewski, the biggest amber shop in Europe, opened in 2002 at the foot of the fortress, before proceeding to St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Check out “St. Peter’s Cemetery”

 

Rdzeniewski

Fortress Hohensalzburg: Mönchsberg 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.  Tel: +43 662 84243011. Open daily, 9:30 AM -5 PM (January-April and October-December), 9 AM – 7 PM (May to September). 

Admission:

  • Basic Rate (Including ascent and descent by fortress funicular,
    guided tour with audio guide, Fortress Museum, Rainer Regiment Museum, Marionette Museum, Alm passage exhibition, Arsenal exhibition): €12.90 (adults), €7.40 (children, 6-14 years), €28.60 (families), €11.90 (per person for groups of 10 adults or more) and €6.80 (per person for groups of 10 children/youths or more, 6-19 years) People with disabilities greater than 50% receive a reduction.
  • All Inclusive Ticket (Including ascent and descent by fortress funicular,
    Princes’ Apartments in the main castle and the Magic Theater, guided tour with audio guide, Fortress Museum, Rainer Regiment Museum, Marionette Museum, Alm passage exhibition, Arsenal exhibition): €16.30 (adults), €9.30 (children, 6-14 years), €36.20 (families), €15.00 (per person for groups of 10 adults or more) and €8.60 (per person for groups of 10 children/youths or more, 6-19 years)
  • Footpath (includes ride down on the funicular, entrance courtyards and observation tower, with audio guide): €10.00 (adults), €5.70 (children, 6-14 years), €22.20 (families), €9.20 (per person for groups of 10 adults or more) and €5.20 (per person for groups of 10 children/youths or more, 6-19 years)
  • Panorama Ticket (Including ascent and descent by fortress funicular, entrance courtyards and observation tower, with audio guide, available May–September: 8:30 A -10 AM and 6 – 8 PM; October–April: 4- 5 PM): €11.00 (adults), €6.30 (children, 6-14 years), €24.40 (families), €10.20 (per person for groups of 10 adults or more) and €5.80 (per person for groups of 10 children/youths or more, 6-19 years).

Rdzeniewski: Festungsgasse 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +43 662 8410140.

Church of the Immaculate Conception and Fort Culion (Culion, Palawan)

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The Church of the Immaculate Conception

The Church of the Immaculate Conception

From the town proper, we all boarded tricycles to take us, up a high promontory, to the town’s magnificent Church of the Immaculate Conception, originally built in 1746 by the Recollects.  It is located within the quadrilateral Fort Culion which was built in 1683 by Fr. Juan de Severo and renovated in 1740.

The church promontory

The church promontory

The fort was partially demolished in the 1930s by American Jesuit Fr. Hugh McNutty to build a larger church, with some of the fort’s original coral rock  used for the nave.  The church was completed in 1933.  Both the fort and church share the same main entrance.

Royal seal of King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain

Royal seal of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain

AUTHOR’s NOTES:

The church’s 2-level Baroque facade has semicircular arched main entrance flanked by pilasters and seemingly topped by the royal seal of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. The entrance, in turn, is flanked by niches with statues of angels.

The church's interior

The church’s interior

The second level has a centrally located niche with the statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception flanked by semicircular arch windows.  Above is a segmental (half-moon) pediment with a centrally located oculus. On the church’s right is a bell tower.

Part of the remaining fort walls

Part of the remaining fort walls

The painted ceiling inside the church is obviously new, but before it was repainted, the original ceiling was painted in 1978 by leper patient Ben Amores, based on the design of Jesuit Fr. Javier Olazabal.  To do the paintings, the handicapped Amores, who had no hands, had brushes tied to his arms and was lifted up. In 2003, Jesuit Fr. Gabriel Gonzalez initiated the restoration and renovation of the church.

One of the fort's two remaining cannons

One of the fort’s two remaining cannons

Today, only a round bastion (turned into a lighthouse), with two carriage-less Spanish-era cannons (one I noticed had 1762A stamped on it, probably indicating the year it was cast), located behind the church sanctuary, and part of the wall are all that remains of Fort Culion.  Here, the view of the ocean and Culion town is spectacular.

Our media group at the fort's remaining round bastion

Our media group at the fort’s remaining round bastion

View of the town and sea from the bastion

View of the town and sea from the bastion

Culion Tourism Office:  mobile number: (0921) 394-7106 (Pastor Hermie Villanueva). E-mail: herme_1670@yahoo.com.ph.

How to Get There: Culion is a 1.5 to 2-hour motorized outrigger boat ride from Coron town.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport).  Travel time is 30 mins.   

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan.  Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380.  Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078.  E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com. 

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Sighnaghi: City of Love (Georgia)

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After our short stopover at the venerated Bodbe Monastery, we continued on our GNTA-sponsored tour, proceeding on a short 2-km. drive to the town center of Sighnaghi.  We arrived at the town by 11:30 AM and alighted at a park with a monument to Georgian philosopher, journalist, historian and native son Solomon Dodashvili (May 17, 1805 – August 20, 1836).

Postcard-pretty Sighnaghi

Postcard-pretty Sighnaghi (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Other famous sons of the town include composer Vano Sarajishvili, political figure Sandro Mirianashvili and world-renowned primitivist painter Niko Pirosmani. We were to have lunch at Pheasant’s Tears but, as we still had some time to spare, our Georgian guide  Sopho Makashvili took us on a walking tour around the town.

Monument to native son Solomon Dogashvili

Monument to native son Solomon Dogashvili (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Sighnaghi, located in Georgia’s easternmost region of Kakheti, is the administrative center of the Sighnaghi district and one of the country’s smallest (2.978 km²) towns (2002 population: 2,146).  One of Georgia’s leading trading centers in the 19th century,  Sighnaghi’s economy is dominated by the production of wine, leather, gobelin tapestry, woodcarving, metal craft, ceramics, traditional carpets and traditional food.

Uniquely designed terrace architecture of the town

Uniquely designed terrace architecture of the town

The town and its environs, also known for their landscapes and historical monuments, has recently undergone a fundamental reconstruction and has become an important part of the Georgian tourism industry (it is now known as the “City of Love”).  The town is also the jump-off point for exploring the lush vineyards of Kakheti, the cradle of wine (Georgia boasts of 500 varieties of grapes, more than anywhere else in the world).

The author exploring part of Sighnaghi's defensive wall and towers

Exploring part of Sighnaghi’s defensive wall and towers (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

The town was developed in the early 18th century by the king Erekle II (Heraclius II) as a refuge for the population against Lezgin and Persian attack, hence the name sighnaghi which comes from the Azeri word signak meaning “shelter.” In 1762, he sponsored the construction of the town and erected a fortress to defend the area from marauding attacks by Dagestan tribesmen.  The 4.5 m. high, 1.5 m. wide and 4.5 km. long city wall, one of the biggest in Georgia, has 23 towers, each named after local villages the town is surrounded by, and 6 entrances.

Our guide Sopho Makashvili, Riva Galvezltan, the author and Consul Buddy Cunanan

Our guide Sopho Makashvili, Riva Galvezltan, the author and Consul Buddy Cunanan (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Sopho showed us, from afar, the section of the city’s defensive wall that has been restored for tourism and we climbed one of the towers for a panoramic view of the town.  Walking along the town’s narrow cobblestone streets, I was also enthralled by the uniquely designed terrace architecture of the 2 to 3-storey tiled-roof houses of Sighnaghi, the majority of which still date back from 17th, 18th and 19th century.  Built with fine Georgian brick, they were built to accommodate a variety of stores and workshops, above which are wooden, lacy balconies and bow-backed windows.  The town also has a beautiful fountain.

A beautiful fountain

A beautiful fountain

Consul Buddy Cunanan and I also observed a number of Georgian men playing nardi (backgammon). Popular in Georgia, men, women, children and the elderly all know how to play it, and just about every family owns a backgammon set. They say that life in Georgia is like a game of backgammon – people tend to approach life like a game of chance.

Georgian men playing backgammon in the open

Georgian men playing nardi (backgammon) in the open (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

We also visited the town’s market, near the town hall, where fresh fruits and vegetables, locally made Georgian red (saperavi) and white wine and the clear and strong chacha (Georgian pomace brandy); natural honey; churchkhela (the traditional type of Georgian candy from the Caucasus region also referred to as the Georgian “Snickers”) and cheeses.  Buddy and I each tried out a glass of Georgian wine.

An array of products sold at the market

An array of products sold at the market (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

There are also Georgian spice and spice mixes such as khmeli suneli (a powdered herb/spice mixture), adjika (a spicy paste or sauce seasoned with hot chili peppers) and pilpili (pepper) plus a picturesque array of knitted goods (Georgian socks with traditional patterns, local wool, hats, scarves, slippers, baby booties, etc.) for sale at cheap prices.

The town hall with its distinctive clock tower

The town hall with its distinctive clock tower

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

Qatar Airways has daily flights from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Clark, Pampanga) to Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia) with stopovers at Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar, 15 hrs.) and Heydar Aliyev International Airport (Baku, Azerbaijan, 1 hr.). Website: www.qatarairways.com.

Ananuri Fortress (Georgia)

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(All photos courtesy of Ms. Riva Galveztan)

We started Day Two of our GNTA-sponsored tour of the Georgian countryside by traveling 157 kms. to the northeastern Georgian town of Stepantsminda (formerly Kazbegi).  To get there, we would travel along the Georgian Military Highway.  This historic mountain road that crosses the Greater Caucasus Mountains, connecting Tbilisi in Georgia with the Russian town of  Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia, passes through narrow gorges squeezed between colossal mountains, making for some amazing views.

The amazingly scenic Ananuri Fortress

The amazingly scenic Ananuri Fortress

On one of the turns along the highway, about 72 kms. (45 miles) and an hour away out of Tbilisi, we made a stopover at the scenic Ananuri Fortress which stands spectacularly on a promontory above the large, 11.5 sq. km., azure-blue Zhinvali water reservoir on the Aragvi River, an important water supply for Tbilisi formed after the construction of the Zhinvali Dam.

The Zhinvali water reservoir

The Zhinvali water reservoir

To get to the castle, we had to make a short walk down a narrow road.  This castle complex, the seat of the redoubtable eristavis (dukes) of Aragvi, a feudal dynasty which ruled the area from the 13th century, was the scene of numerous battles as it guarded the way to the ancient capital of Dusheti and, centuries later, the main road linking Georgia with Russia, serving as a garrison for Russian troops.

The crenellated curtain wall

The crenellated curtain wall

Zurab Aragveli, a ruthless local prince known for attacking neighboring mountain clans and even blinding his own brother, was responsible for building much of what is now seen. In 1739, the fortress was attacked and set on fire by forces commanded by Shanshe, the duke of  the rival duchy of Ksani, and the Aragvi clan was massacred. The usurpers, in turn, were killed 4 years later when local peasants revolted against their rule.

One of the fort's towers

One of the fort’s towers

King Teimuraz II was invited to rule directly over them but, in 1746, the king was forced to suppress, with the help of King Erekle II of Kakheti, another peasant uprising. The fortress remained in use until the beginning of the 19th century. In 2007, the complex was placed on the tentative list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage Site program.

Interior of one of the towers

Interior of one of the round towers

The late-feudal Georgian fortress complex, incorporating a circuit wall with turrets, porch, churches, a spring, a reservoir and a Svanetian tower with a stepped pyramidal roof, consists of 2 fortifications joined by a crenellated curtain wall. The well-preserved upper fortification, with a large square tower (known as Sheupovari), is the location of the last defense of the Aragvi against Shanshe.

The Church of the Assumption

The Church of the Assumption

The lower fortification, with a round tower, is mostly in ruins.  Within the complex are two churches. The brick Church of the Virgin, the older of the two, dates from the first half of the 17th century. Abutting a tall square tower, it has the graves of some of the Dukes of Aragvi. Its interior, no longer decorated, has a stone baldaquin erected by the widow of Duke Edishera, who prematurely died in 1674 without giving her a child.

The tall, narrow watchtower adjacent to the west wall of the church

The tall, narrow watchtower adjacent to the west wall of the church

We were to visit the upper fortification.  Three of the upper fortification’s five massive towers, including the largest Sheupovari Tower, face the Georgian Military Highway. We all entered the complex to the right of the fortification, from the middle of the southern wall. As we entered the fortress, we faced the Church of the Assumption (Ghvtismshobeli), the main domed cathedral and the larger of the two churches.

Grapevine cross carved on the south façade of the church

Grapevine cross carved on the south façade of the church

Georgian script carved on the south facade of the church

Georgian script carved on the south facade of the church

The church, built in 1689 for the son of Duke Bardzem and designed by architect: K. Bakhsarashvili, has a central dome and its earliest pyramidal tower is located by its western wall.  It is interesting to explore from the outside as it has a richly decorated façade with some very well-preserved bas-reliefs featuring human, animal and floral images.  The north entrance has Georgian script carved on the walls while the south façade has a carved grapevine cross. Adjacent to the west wall of the church is a tall, narrow watch tower dating from the 13th or 14th century.

The church's modest interior

The church’s modest interior

The central dome of the church

The central dome of the church

Inside its modest interior, we could still see the remains of a number of frescoes, most of which were destroyed by a fire in the 18th century.  Among the scenes depicted are the famous Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, prominent ecclesiastical figures which represent convincing evidence for the study of the iconography of these figures. We also saw people lighting candles (bought from the kiosk on the left hand side as you enter the church) and placing them underneath paintings and icons of saints.  Along the church’s east wall are several tombstones.

Fresco of the Thirteen Syrian Fathers

Fresco of the Thirteen  Assyrian Fathers

Too bad we didn’t have time to climb its towers.  This fortified ensemble truly was photogenic, thanks to its wonderful location overlooking the Zhinvali Reservoir, as well historically significant, thanks to centuries of royal rivalry. Indeed this true castle, the first one I ever visited, is about as medieval as one can get and was well worth a visit.

Melissa, Sopho and Consul Cunanan

Melissa, Sopho and Consul Cunanan

Ananuri Fortress: Georgian Military Highway, Ananuri. Open daily, 9 AM – 7 PM. Admission is free.

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

Qatar Airways has daily flights from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Clark, Pampanga) to Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia) with stopovers at Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar, 15 hrs.) and Heydar Aliyev International Airport (Baku, Azerbaijan, 1 hr.). Website: www.qatarairways.com.

Khertvisi Fortress (Aspindza, Georgia)

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After our day tour of the cave city of Vardzia, Ruby, Riva and I made our way back, via our hired taxi, to Akhaltsikhe where we will take another marshrutka back to Borjomi.  About 16 kms. before the town, we made a short stopover at the great fortress of Khertvisi, one of the biggest and oldest fortresses in Georgia.

Khertvisi Fortress, one of the biggest and oldest fortresses in Georgia

Khertvisi Fortress, one of the biggest and oldest fortresses in Georgia

Functional throughout the Georgian feudal period, the fortress was first built in the 2nd century B.C.. The church was built in 985 AD and the present 1.5 m. thick and 20 m. high walls were built in 1354. According to legend, Khertvisi was destroyed by Alexander the Great. According to another legend, a master stonemason and an apprentice entered a competition held by Queen Tamar to see who could build the best tower. The apprentice won and the dejected master stonemason jumped from one of the towers and died impaled on the knife in his belt.

The present 1.5 m. thick and 20 m. high walls

The present 1.5 m. thick and 20 m. high walls

From the 10th to 11th centuries, it was the center of  Meskheti  region and, during the 12th century, it became a town. In the 13th century, it was destroyed by the Mongols and, until the 15th century, it lost its power. In the 15th century, it was owned by Meskheti landlords from the Jakeli family. In the 16th century, the southern region of Georgia was invaded by the Turks and the fortress was captured in 1578 and held for the next 3 centuries.

Tower (2)

One of the fortress’ bastions

Khertvisi Fortress

At the end of the 19th century, after the Russo-Turkish War, the Georgian and Russian army returned the lost territories and Khertvisi became the military base for Russian and Georgian troops. Its strategic location guards the road connecting the towns of Akhalkalaki and Akhaltsikhe. Three roads intersect here – one to Turkey, the second to the sea and the third to Tbilisi.

Tower (1)

One of the fortress’ four towers

Tower (3)

A square tower

The 150 m long and 30 m. wide fortress, at a narrow canyon at the confluence of the  Mtkvari and Paravani Rivers, is situated high up on a rocky outcrop and, as such, we could only admire it from below.  If we had a little more time and our taxi driver would allow it, we could have walked up on a little path that begins from the road to the fortress.  The fortress is empty though, save for a little chapel, and could be explored in 15 mins..

Ruby, Riva and the author

Ruby, Riva and the author

Khertvisi Fortress: Khertvisi, Aspindza 0500, Georgia.