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{{Coord|display=title|19|55|14|S|057|47|32|W|type=}} {{Coord|display=title|19|55|14|S|057|47|32|W|type=}}
{{:Info/Fortificação-BR|
|nome = Forte Porto Carrero
|imagem = Fort Coimbra.png
|legenda = Forte Coimbra, Mato Grosso do Sul
|construído_por = ]
|construído_em = ]
|estilo = ]
|estado = Bom
|visitável = <!-- {{Sim}} ou {{Não}} -->
|loc_x = <!-- Coordenadas na imagem, em pixel, no eixo dos XX -->
|loc_y = <!-- Coordenadas na imagem, em pixel, no eixo dos YY -->
}}

{{Infobox military installation {{Infobox military installation
|name=Fort Cavazos |name=New Coimbra Fort
|native_name= |native_name= Forte Novo de Coimbra
|image= Forte de Coimbra 4, Corumbá MS.jpg
|image=
|caption=Shoulder sleeve insignia of major Ft. Cavazos units |caption=The New Coimbra Fort today
| coordinates = {{coord|19|55|14|S|057|47|32|W}}
|site_area=332.05 sq mi (860 sq km)
| pushpin_map = Brazil
|type=Army post
| pushpin_mapsize =
|built=1942
| pushpin_map_alt =
|materials=
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the New Coimbra Fort in Brazil
|used=1942–present
| pushpin_label = New Coimbra Fort
|controlledby=]
|site_area =
|garrison=
|type = ]
|built=] ]
|built = {{Start date|1775}}
|ownership=
|materials =
|condition= Ruins
|used =
|website=
|controlledby = ]
|garrison =
|ownership =
|condition =
|website = {{URL|http://ebacervo.eb.mil.br/items/show/217}}
|footnotes = {{designation list|embed = yes| designation1 = Brazil| designation1_date = 1974|designation1_number =917-T-1974}}
}} }}


The '''New Coimbra Fort''', also known as '''Fort Portocarrero'''{{efn|A name that stems from Hermenegildo Portocarrero, the Brazilian military officer who commanded the fort's garrison at the start of the ]; the fort was never formally named thus, but the Coastal Artillery Group which garrisons it was named Portorcarrero Group in his honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.camara.leg.br/legin/fed/declei/1940-1949/decreto-lei-4027-16-janeiro-1942-414080-republicacao-69156-pe.html|title=DECRETO-LEI Nº 4.027, DE 16 DE JANEIRO DE 1942}}</ref>}} or simply '''Fort Coimbra''', is a Brazilian military fortification on the ], strategically located near the border with Bolivia and Paraguay in ], in the state of ], in Brazil. The fort was founded in September 13 1775, something that had been planned by the Portuguese colonial authorities ever since the new borders with Spain had been fixed in the ] in 1750.
O '''Forte Novo de Coimbra''', também referido como '''Forte de Nova Coimbra''', '''Forte de Coimbra''' e '''Forte Portocarrero''',<ref>A denominação Portocarrero é considerada como incorreta, fruto de interpretação indevida do Decreto-Lei 4.027, que apenas alterou o nome da unidade que lá servia - o Sexto Grupo de Artilharia de Costa - para Grupo Portocarrero.</ref> localiza-se na margem direita do ], em posição dominante sobre o estreito de São Francisco Xavier, no atual distrito de Forte Coimbra, município de ], estado de ], no ].


== História == == History ==
=== Antecedentes === === Background ===
Brazil's western central region, ], had been explored since the early 18th century by ] from ] and ] missionaries from land which belongs to Paraguay nowadays. The border between the Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires in the region needed to be marked, and the Portuguese solution was the New Coimbra Fort, to be built along the lines of the Spanish ] of the time.
De acordo com o pesquisador ], o primitivo forte foi oficialmente fundado em ] de ], embora a decisão de estabelecê-lo tenha sido tomada muito antes, no contexto da assinatura e das demarcações decorrentes do ] (]).


When the first colonial captain-general to the region, ], arrived in 1751, he started to build up an administration, and to consolidate plans for defense and further expansion; by 1772, when the captaincy's fourth governor, {{ill|Luís de Albuquerque de Melo Pereira e Cáceres|lt=Luís Pereira e Cáceres|pt|Luís de Albuquerque de Melo Pereira e Cáceres}}, arrived to take power, these were already somewhat established. He soon determined that the planned fort in the ] be built. Besides the previously planned border demarcation purpose, it would also serve to inhibit the frequent raids by the ] and ] indians.<ref name= revista/> Captain Matias Ribeiro da Costa was sent to accomplish this task, with instructions to build the fort somewhere near where the settlement of ] is located today, some 300 kilometers further downriver than where the fort was actually built (the expedition made a mistake).<ref name= revista>{{cite journal|author=<!--not stated-->|year=2001|title=Forte de Coimbra|volume=1|issue=2|journal=DaCultura|publisher=Fundação Cultural do Estado da Bahia|url=https://www.funceb.org.br/images/revista/_4y1k.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010053437/https://www.funceb.org.br/images/revista/_4y1k.pdf|archive-date=10 October 2010|language=pt}}</ref><ref name=Bento/> The captain's expedition was made up of 245 men in 15 canoes, guided by an elderly indian man.<ref name=Bento>{{cite journal|last=Bento|first=Cláudio|title=FORTE DE COIMBRA: DOIS SÉCULOS DE HISTÓRIA, DE FÉ E DE GLÓRIAS|journal=Revista da Academia de História Militar Terrestre do Brasil|publisher=Academia de História Militar Terrestre do Brasil |url=http://www.ahimtb.org.br/FORTE%20DE%20COIMBRA%202%20S%C3%89CULOS%20DE%20F%C3%89%20E%20GL%C3%93RIAS.pdf|language=pt}}</ref> They set off from ] on 22 July 1775, and founded the fort on 13 September of the same year. It was called the "Presídio de Coimbra". The place where the fort lies was previously called St. Francis's Narrows, because the Paraguay River became narrower there.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://revistas.ufpi.br/index.php/contraponto/article/view/3746/2157 |title=A invasão paraguaia do sul do Mato Grosso |date=2015 |last=Maestri |first=Mário |volume=4 |issue=2 |journal=Revista Contraponto |issn=2236-6822}}</ref>
A região do chamado ] era conhecida desde o início do ] quer por ] paulistas e quer por missionários ] de ], no ]. Diante da necessidade de demarcação das terras por ambas as Coroas, era conveniente a implantação de algum ponto de apoio naquela região. Por parte de Portugal, desse modo, floresceu a ideia de se construir um presídio mais ao sul, próximo aos espanhóis.


=== The New Coimbra Fort ===
A partir da chegada à região do primeiro governador da ], em ], e de várias mudanças governamentais e planos consolidados de defesa e expansão, o quarto capitão-general da capitania, ], determinou a fundação de um forte no curso do ] para impedir o avanço espanhol e coibir a atuação dos índios ]. Para essa tarefa, designou o Capitão ], com instruções para alcançar a região chamada de ''Fecho dos Morros'', onde hoje se localiza ], 292 quilômetros mais abaixo no curso do rio, a vinte dias de ] de ].
In 1791, due to the bad state of the fort's structure, which had been damaged by a fire<ref name=Bento/> and Kadiwéu attacks,{{sfn|Sousa|1885|p= 134}} works were started to renew it, this time using masonry.{{sfn|Garrido|1940|p= 160}} This was also in part motivated by the Spanish building Forts ] and of ] in the region. Then captain-general {{ill|Caetano Pinto de Miranda Montenegro|lt=Caetano Montenegro|pt|Caetano Pinto de Miranda Montenegro}} ordered it to be built "in the edge of the hill, where two great lengths of the Paraguay River present themselves at an obtuse angle, which will be then flanked by the new fort, something the old base wouldn't do."{{efn|This is a translation from the original Portuguese, which reads "na ponta do morro, onde fazem um grande ângulo obtuso dois compridos estirões do Paraguai, que ficarão flanqueados pelo novo forte, o que não faria a antiga estacada."}}{{sfn|Sousa|1885|p= 134}}


From 1796 onwards, lieutenant colonel {{ill|Ricardo Franco de Almeida Serra|lt=Ricardo Serra|pt|Ricardo Franco de Almeida Serra}}, a military engineer and geographer, took charge of the construction.{{sfn|Barreto|1958}} for the fort show the original base besides the new one, which was adapted to its terrain, an irregular ]. Its walls had ] and surrounded the entire fort, meeting its hill's slope as it declined. It had room for two batteries of 8 guns set horizontally, which could fire across each other onto the river. To the southeast, a moat protected the fort from ground assaults. Inside the fort, there was a chapel, an arsenal and quarters for its troops. Ricardo Serra would command the fort until 1806; he was buried in it after his death in 1809.{{sfn|Sousa|1885|p= 134-135}}<ref name= revista/>
O Capitão partiu de Cuiabá no dia ] de ] acompanhado de 245 homens divididos em três grupamentos, com um total de 15 canoas, guiados por um ] idoso.


In September 1801, the new fort was still being built when an expedition composed of four schooners and two canoes, carrying 600 men, attacked it; they were led by {{ill|Lázaro de Ribera y Espinoza|lt=Lázaro de Ribeira|es|Lázaro de Ribera y Espinoza}}, the ]. The fort encroached on Spanish land, as established in the Treaty of Madrid, and news of peace in the ] hadn't yet reached the region.{{sfn|Corrêa Filho|1925|p= 136-143}}<ref name= revista/> The Brazilians had been previously warned by the now friendly Kadiwéu indians of the expedition's existence,<ref name=Bento/> and, though the fort was garrisoned by only 42 men, it resisted the initial assault and then a 10-day siege, after which the Paraguayans withdrew due to the lack of supplies and storm damage on the ships.<ref name= revista/> Throughout the action, the Paraguayans lost 20 men.{{sfn|Corrêa Filho|1925|p= 146}}
O forte foi fundado em ] de ], no estreito de São Francisco Xavier, na margem direita do rio Paraguai: o "Presídio de Coimbra". Recorde-se que um "presídio", à época, era um estabelecimento militar de colonização.


In 1851 the fort's weaponry was improved by the addition of four 24-pounder guns and some smaller 9 and 6 pounder guns which had laid since 1820 in the ], planned to be installed at the ] further north. It was expanded and repaired between 1855 and 1856.{{sfn|Sousa|1885|p= 134-135}} In 1855, Mato Grosso's government was briefly transferred to the fort by then-provincial president ] amidst tensions with Paraguay.<ref name=Bento/>
=== O Forte Novo de Coimbra ===
A partir de ], dado o precário estado de conservação do ''Forte de Nossa Senhora do Carmo'', foram iniciadas obras para reconstrução da estrutura, em ] de pedra e cal. Em ] assumiu o comando do forte o Capitão ].<ref name="Não_nomeado-xrzk-1">GARRIDO, 1940:160.</ref>


Just before the ], the fort's status was reported to the provincial president as follows: "In the 30th of the last month I arrived here from Fort Coimbra, to where I led the province's artillery battalion. Your Excellency will probably have received a memorandum regarding that Fort's condition, as well as other measures taken by the Hon. Sir Commander of Arms, who returned with me that same day; I must tell Your Excellency, nevertheless, that said Fort's state is unsatisfactory, but that it can resist Paraguay's ships and maybe defend itself from land attacks. The Hon. Sir Commander of Arms has ordered some improvements and repairs be made which he understands will be advantageous, and he plans to fortify the Navy's old position in front of the Fort, so that they may fire across from each other and aid each other."{{sfn|Guimarães|1964|p= 37}}{{efn|This is a translation from the original Portuguese, which reads: "A 30 do mês findo cheguei aqui de volta do Forte de Coimbra, para onde fui conduzindo o batalhão de artilharia da província. Provavelmente V. Exa. terá recebido uma participação circunstanciada do estado daquele forte, assim como de outras diligências procedidas pelo exmo. Sr. Comandante das Armas, que comigo regressou no mesmo dia; todavia direi à V. Exa. que não é satisfatório o estado do dito forte, contudo pode resistir aos navios do Paraguai e defender-se talvez de seus ataques por terra. O exmo. sr. Comandante das Armas determinou alguns melhoramentos e serviços que entende serão de vantagem, e pretende fortificar a antiga posição da Marinha em frente ao mesmo forte, de modo que, cruzando os fogos, se auxiliem mutuamente."}}
O Governador e Capitão-general da Capitania de Mato Grosso, ] (17??-1804), tendo em vista as iniciativas espanholas do ] e do ] na região fronteiriça, decidiu erigir uma fortificação mais sólida "''na ponta do morro, onde fazem um grande ângulo obtuso dois compridos estirões do Paraguai, que ficarão flanqueados pelo novo forte, o que não faria a antiga estacada.''"<ref>SERRA, Ricardo Franco de Almeida. Diário. 1796. apud SOUZA, 1885:134.</ref>


=== The Paraguayan War ===
A partir de ], as obras do '''Forte Novo de Coimbra''' ficaram a cargo do Tenente-coronel ], engenheiro militar e geógrafo, que prosseguiu as obras de reconstrução (] de ]) na qualidade de comandante do forte.<ref>BARRETTO, 1958.</ref> A planta de sua autoria (''Planta do novo Forte de Coimbra, situado na margem ocidental do Paraguai'', 1797. AHEx; BN, Rio de Janeiro) mostra a primitiva estacada ao lado da qual foi erguida uma fortificação orgânica, adaptada ao terreno, com o traçado de um polígono estrelado irregular. As ]s, de cortinas ], envolviam toda a fortificação, acompanhando o declive da encosta. Comportava duas ]s em plano horizontal, cruzando fogos sobre o rio, com oito canhoneiras pelo lado do rio e mais oito pelo lado de terra. A sudoeste, um ] protegia a fortificação de um assalto pelo lado de terra. Completavam o conjunto edificações para a ], a ''Casa de Pólvora'' e Quartéis para a tropa.
{{Infobox military conflict

|conflict = Battle of Fort Novo de Coimbra
=== O cerco espanhol de 1801 ===
|partof = the ]
Essa nova estrutura ainda se encontra em obras quando uma expedição de quatro escunas e duas canoas guarnecidas com 600 homens, sob o comando do Governador do Paraguai, D. ], na ], atacou o '''Forte Novo de Coimbra''' então guarnecido com apenas 42 homens, que resistem a um cerco de dez dias, de ] a ] de ].<ref name="Não_nomeado-xrzk-1"/>
|image = El asalto y toma de Coimbra.jpg

|image_size = 300
Ricardo Franco de Almeida Serra faleceu no comando da praça em ],<ref>SOUZA, 1885:134-135.</ref> às 14 horas do dia ].
|caption = Paraguayan drawing published in '']'', depicting cannons firing on the fort and the Brazilian withdrawal

|date = 27 December 1864 - 29 December 1864
=== A segunda metade do século XIX: Guerra da Tríplice Aliança ===
|place = New Coimbra Fort

|result = Paraguayan victory
Em ] o armamento do forte foi aumentado com quatro peças de calibre 24 libras e algumas de calibres 9 e 6, que jaziam desde ] às margens do ], destinadas ao ], de acordo com informação do Almirante ], Barão de Melgaço.<ref name="Não_nomeado-xrzk-2">SOUZA, 1885:135.</ref> Obras de reforma e de ampliação foram executadas entre ] e ].
|combatant1 = {{flag|Empire of Brazil}}

|combatant2 = {{flag|Paraguay|1842}}
Na iminência da ] (1864-1870), o seu estado era informado ao Presidente da Província:
|commander1 = {{flagicon|Empire of Brazil}} ]

|commander2 = {{flagicon|Paraguay|1842}} ]
:"''A 30 do mês findo cheguei aqui de volta do Forte de Coimbra, para onde fui conduzindo o batalhão de artilharia da Província. Provavelmente V. Exa. terá recebido uma participação circunstanciada do estado daquele Forte, assim como de outras diligências procedidas pelo Exmo. Sr. Comandante das Armas, que comigo aqui regressou no mesmo dia; todavia direi a V. Exa., que não é satisfatório o estado do dito Forte, contudo pode resistir aos navios do Paraguai e defender-se talvez dos seus ataques por terra. O Exmo. Sr. Comandante das Armas determinou alguns melhoramentos e serviços que entende serão de vantagem e pretende fortificar a antiga posição da Marinha em frente ao mesmo Forte (...).''"<ref>Ofício do Comandante da flotilha de Mato Grosso, em Corumbá, ao Presidente da Província, em ] de ].</ref>
|strength1 = {{plainlist |

*125 regulars
{{quote2|''Somente pela sorte e honra das armas entregaremos o Forte''|Tenente-coronel ]}}
*65 irregulars

*11 guns
], ], ] - ])]]
*]
}}
|strength2 = {{plainlist |
*3,200 soldiers
*12 guns
*11 warships
}}
|casualties1 = None
|casualties2 = 200 casualties
|campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Paraguayan War}}
}}


The Paraguayan invasion, the opening move of the ], was made of five infantry batallions and two dismounted cavalry regiments, totalling 3200 men, with twelve rifled guns, a French-equipped rocket battery and the support of 11 warships, all under colonel ]'s command. The fort's surrender was demanded on 27 December 1864.<ref name= revista/>
A invasão se materializou quando cinco batalhões de infantaria e dois regimentos de cavalaria a pé, num total de 3.200 homens, armados com doze canhões raiados, uma bateria de trinta ]s ] de 24&nbsp;mm, protegidos por dez embarcações de guerra (entre as quais o Marquês de Olinda, adaptado) sob o comando do coronel paraguaio ], intimaram o forte a se render (] de ]). Apesar do comando da praça ser do capitão ], nele se encontrava em visita de inspeção naquele mês, o tenente-coronel ], comandante do ] e do ], que assumiu, a título eventual, o comando do forte, frente à ameaça. A posição brasileira estava então artilhada com onze peças de ] de alma lisa em bateria, e mais vinte sem reparos, guarnecido por 125 oficiais e soldados de artilharia a pé, reforçados por cerca de 30 guardas nacionais, alguns guardas de alfândega, meia dúzia de prisioneiros e duas dezenas de índios mansos. Durante dois dias, os combates foram intensos. As esposas e familiares dos oficiais e praças prepararam cartuchos de ], ]s, e atenderam como possível os feridos. Sem recursos para resistir e distante de reforços, o forte foi evacuado em ordem, na noite de 28 para 29, na ]. O forte (e a bateria fronteira, no Morro da Marinha, cf. BARRETO, 1958:303) permaneceu ocupado pelas forças paraguaias até abril de ], quando o abandonaram conduzindo a sua ] e tudo o que nele existia.<ref>SOUZA, 1889:135.</ref>


Though the fort's commander was captain Benito de Faria, lieutenant colonel ], commander of all artillery in Mato Grosso and of the Lower Paraguay Military District happened to be there on a routine inspection, and took over its command due to the Paraguayan attack. He replied to the Paraguayan demands with a letter stating "only through luck and the honor of arms will we deliver the fort".<ref name= revista/>
Findo o conflito, iniciou-se a reconstrução do forte, cujos danos sofridos haviam sido consideráveis, quase perdendo as próprias ]s sob o fogo da artilharia inimiga.<ref>Relatório do Ministro da Guerra, Barão de Muritiba, 1870. apud GARRIDO, 1940:163.</ref> Comandou as obras o Major ], por determinação do Governo Imperial.<ref name="Não_nomeado-xrzk-2"/> Em ], o Major ], que o comandou, procedeu a obras de ampliação, melhorando a defesa pelo lado oeste.


The fort then held 11 functioning bronze smoothbore guns, plus another 20 in need of repairs, and a garrison of 125 regular officers and men, 30 national guards, some custom guards, 6 prisoners and 24 "tame indians".<ref name= revista/> For two days the Paraguayans made intense attacks. The fort's troops' families aided with reloading and the wounded. Lacking the resources necessary to resist the attack and with no reinforcements available nearby, the fort was orderly evacuated between 28 and 29 December by the gunboat '']''. During the action, the Paraguayan forces suffered circa 200 casualties from failed assaults and reconnaissance actions,{{sfn|Benítes|1919|p= 31}} and the Brazilians suffered no losses.{{sfn|Souza|1919|p= 11-12}} The fort (and its guns){{sfn|Barreto|1958|p= 303}} fell under enemy control, and remained under it until April 1868, when the Paraguayans abandoned it, taking away its guns and stores.{{sfn|Sousa|1885|p= 135}}
=== Do século XX aos nossos dias ===
]


After the war ended (in 1870), the fort began to be rebuilt.<ref name= revista/> It had suffered extensive damage during the conflict, with its walls being almost completely destroyed by Paraguayan artillery fire.{{sfn|Garrido|1940|p= 163}} In 1872, works to expand its west wall were started.
Novos melhoramentos se sucederam, inclusive na artilharia, no biênio ]-], quando foram montadas peças de Marinha na Bateria Ricardo Franco:<ref>GARRIDO, 1940:163.</ref> dois canhões Armstrong de 120&nbsp;mm, que haviam pertencido ao ].<ref>BARRETTO, 1958:303.</ref>


=== The 20th century and beyond ===
BARRETO (1958) informa-nos que novos quartéis foram construídos em ]. Pelo Decreto-Lei no. 4.027, de ] de ], a unidade que lá servia, o Sexto Grupo de Artilharia de Costa foi denominado Grupo Portocarrero, em homenagem aquele herói da Guerra da Tríplice Aliança. À época estava guarnecido com quatro ], dois no Morro do Forte (margem direita do rio Paraguai) e dois no Morro da Marinha na margem oposta.<ref>Op. cit., p.&nbsp;302-303.</ref>
Between 1907 and 1908 the fort was once again upgraded by the addition of two 120mm ]s from the ironclad ].{{sfn|Garrido|1940|p= 163}}{{sfn|Barreto|1958|p= 303}} New quarters were built beside the fort in 1930. By then, the fort was armed with four ].{{sfn|Barreto|1958|p= 302-303}}


The fort was listed as a heritage site by the ] in 1974.<ref name= revista/> Nowadays, the fort hosts the 3rd Frontier Company - Coimbra Fort, which is part of the 18th Frontier Infantry Brigade of the ]'s ]. In 2002, said company was designated the Portocarrero Company; in 2016, it was downsized into a platoon.{{sfn|Almeida|2019|p= 61}} The fort also has a display of historical artillery pieces, hosting the following guns:{{sfn|Almeida|2019|p= 65}}
De propriedade da União, o conjunto foi tombado pelo ] a partir de ]. Em ] concebeu-se a implantação do Projeto Parque Histórico-Turístico Forte de Coimbra.


{| class="wikitable" style="width:70%;"
As dependências do monumento sediam atualmente a '']'', subordinada à '']'' do ]. Esta unidade recebeu, em ], a denominação histórica de ''Companhia Portocarrero''.
|-
! width=14%| Name
! width=20%| Image
! width=14%| Type
! width=12%| Origin
! width=10%| Quantity
! width=14%| Usage
|-
| Whitworth 32
|
| Rifled ]
| {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| 5
| 1880-1907
|-
| ]
| ]
| Rifled muzzle loader
| {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| 3
| 1880-1907
|-
| ]
| ]
| Light coastal defense gun
| {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| 5
| 1884-1907
|-
| ]
| ]
| ]
| {{Flag|German Empire}}
| 2
| 1907-1940
|-
| Armstrong-Whitworth 120mm
| ]
| ]
| {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| 2
| 1907-1940
|-
| ]
| ]
| Naval gun
| {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| 4
| 1940-1986
|-
| ]
| ]
| Field gun
| {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| 2
| 1986-1992
|}


=== Lendas e tradições do forte === == The fort's legends and traditions ==
There is a local tale that claims that when the fort was being initially built, ] passed through its first planned site (further downriver from the actual one) on a journey to Peru, which would have made the place holy and unsuitable for military occupation.<ref name=Bento/> Amongst the officers of the fort there is a tradition of devoutness to the ], and a custom of, when one of them reaches the rank of general, no matter where they are serving, to send back to her shrine in the fort one of the gold stars of their ].
Uma das lendas locais que cercam a fundação do forte afirma que ] transitou por Fecho dos Morros em sua jornada em direção ao ], razão pela qual esse local era considerado sagrado e portanto não passível de ocupação militar. Uma outra lenda afirma que o Capitão Mathias teria a benção de ], comemorado em ], sob cuja invocação o primitivo forte foi colocado. Essa data é uma das mais importantes de Forte Coimbra. Registra-se ainda uma antiga tradição, ligada a essa devoção à Senhora do Carmo, entre os oficiais do ] que serviam no forte: ao atingirem a patente de ], de onde quer que estivessem, de enviar-lhe uma das ]s de ] de suas ]s.


In the second day of the 1864 siege, it is said that an army musician raised an image of the Virgin of Carmel over the fort's walls and shouted "long live Our Lady of Mount Carmel", under orders from Portocarrero's wife; the Paraguayans stopped firing and started to shout "long live Our Lady". This allowed some of the fort's women to discreetly head down to the river to collect water for its defenders.<ref name=Bento/>{{sfn|Almeida|2019|p= 93}}
Também é importante para a região o nome do Coronel Ricardo Franco de Almeida Serra, abrigando o forte os seus restos mortais em um monumento.


==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{Notelist}}


== Bibliografia == ==References==
===Citations===
* BARRETO, Aníbal (Cel.). ''Fortificações no Brasil (Resumo Histórico).'' Rio de Janeiro: Biblioteca do Exército Editora, 1958. 368p.
{{Reflist|25em}}
* CAMPESTRINI, Hildebrando; GUIMARÃES, Acyr. ''História de Mato Grosso do Sul. (5ª ed.)''. Campo Grande: Instituto Histórico e Geográfio de Mato Grosso do Sul, 2002.
* FERRAZ, Antônio Leôncio Pereira. "Memória sobre as Fortificações de Mato Grosso". Separata da ''Revista do ]''. Rio de Janeiro: Imprensa Nacional, 1930.
* GALLO, José Roberto (Arq.). ''Fortificações de Mato Grosso do Sul''. Campo Grande: 8º DR/IPHAN/FNPM/MinC Escritório Técnico/MS, mar. 1986.
* GARRIDO, Carlos Miguez. Fortificações do Brasil. ''Separata do Vol. III dos Subsídios para a História Marítima do Brasil.'' Rio de Janeiro: Imprensa Naval, 1940.
* GUIMARÃES, Acyr. ''Mato Grosso do Sul - sua evolução histórica''. Campo Grande: UCDB, 2000.
* ] (Almte.). "Apontamentos para o Diccionário Chorografico da Província do Mato Grosso". ''RIHGB''. Rio de Janeiro: Tomo XLVII, Partes I e II, 1884. p.&nbsp;307-504.
* MAGALHÃES, Luiz Alfredo Marques. ''Rio Paraguay - da Gaíba ao Apa''. Campo Grande: Editora Alvorada, s.d..
* MARQUES, Rubens Moraes da Costa. ''Trilogia do Patrimônio Histórico e Cultural Sul-Mato-Grossense''. Campo Grande: UFMS, 2001.
* MELLO, Raul Silveira de (Gen.). "Ricardo Franco de Almeida Serra na expansão e delimitação de nossas fronteiras". ''Revista Militar Brasileira'', Rio de Janeiro, Ano L, nos. 1 e 2, v. LXXV, p.&nbsp;25-28, jan.-jun. 1963.
* MELLO, Raul Silveira de (Gen.). ''A História do Forte Coimbra (4 vols.)''. Rio de Janeiro: SMG Imprensa do Exército, 1958-1961.
* MOURA, Carlos Francisco. ''O Forte de Coimbra: sentinela avançada da fronteira''. Cuiabá: Edições UFMT, 1975. 128 p. il.
* SILVA, Jovam Vilela da. ''A lógica portuguesa na ocupação urbana do território mato-grossense''. História & Perspectivas. Uberlândia: nº 24, jan.-jun. 2001.
* ]. "Fortificações no Brazil". ''RIHGB.'' Rio de Janeiro: Tomo XLVIII, Parte II, 1885. p.&nbsp;5-140.
* s.a. Bicentenário do Forte Coimbra. ''Revista Militar Brasileira'', Rio de Janeiro, Ano LXI, Número Especial, Vol. CVII, 1975.
* in ''Revista DaCultura'', ano I, nº 2, jul-dez 2001. p. 51-56.


== Ver também == ===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
* ]
*{{cite thesis |last=Almeida |first=Fábio |date=2019 |title=Fortaleza imaginária: A construção do patrimônio cultural pelos diferentes discursos sobre o Forte de Coimbra e seu contexto histórico-paisagístico |degree=MA |url=http://portal.iphan.gov.br/uploads/ckfinder/arquivos/ALMEIDA_Fabio-Dissertacao_Mestrado.pdf |publisher=]}}
* {{cite book|last=Barreto|first=Aníbal|title=Fortificações no Brasil (Resumo Histórico)|year= 1958|publisher=Biblioteca do Exército|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tg9bxgEACAAJ|language=pt}}
* {{cite book |last=Benítes|first=Gregorio|date=1919 |title=Guerra del Paraguay: las primeras batallas contra la Triple alianza |publisher=Talleres Gráficos del Estado |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=txu.059173022945835|language=es}}
* {{cite book |last=Corrêa Filho|first=Virgílio|date=1925 |title=As Raias de Mato Grosso |volume=3 |publisher=Secção d'Obras do Estado de S. Paulo |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31210010132668|language=pt}}
* {{cite book |last=Garrido|first=Carlos M.|date=1940 |title=Subsídios para a história marítima do Brasil|volume=3 |publisher=Impr. Naval|chapter=Fortificações do Brasil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UukkAQAAIAAJ|language=pt}}
* {{cite book|last=Guimarães|first=Jorge M.|title=A invasão do Mato Grosso|year= 1964|publisher=Biblioteca do Exército|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OOsJAQAAIAAJ|language=pt}}
* {{cite journal|last=Sousa|first=Augusto|year=1885|title=Fortificações no Brazil|volume=48|journal=Revista Trimensal do Instituto Histórico Geographico e Ethnographico do Brazil|publisher=] |url=https://archive.org/details/forticacoes_no_brazil_1885|language=pt}}
* {{cite book|last=Souza|first=Antonio F.|year=1919|title=A invasão Paraguaya em Matto-Grosso|publisher=J. Pereira Leite|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015070298339|language=pt}}
{{refend}}


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Latest revision as of 17:08, 13 January 2025

19°55′14″S 057°47′32″W / 19.92056°S 57.79222°W / -19.92056; -57.79222

New Coimbra Fort
Forte Novo de Coimbra
The New Coimbra Fort today
New Coimbra Fort is located in BrazilNew Coimbra FortNew Coimbra FortLocation of the New Coimbra Fort in Brazil
Coordinates19°55′14″S 057°47′32″W / 19.92056°S 57.79222°W / -19.92056; -57.79222
TypeBastion fort
Site information
Controlled byBrazilian Army
Websiteebacervo.eb.mil.br/items/show/217
Site history
Built1775 (1775)
National Historic Heritage of Brazil
Designated1974
Reference no.917-T-1974

The New Coimbra Fort, also known as Fort Portocarrero or simply Fort Coimbra, is a Brazilian military fortification on the Paraguay River, strategically located near the border with Bolivia and Paraguay in Corumbá, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in Brazil. The fort was founded in September 13 1775, something that had been planned by the Portuguese colonial authorities ever since the new borders with Spain had been fixed in the Treaty of Madrid in 1750.

History

Background

Brazil's western central region, Mato Grosso, had been explored since the early 18th century by bandeirantes from São Paulo and Jesuit missionaries from land which belongs to Paraguay nowadays. The border between the Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires in the region needed to be marked, and the Portuguese solution was the New Coimbra Fort, to be built along the lines of the Spanish presidios of the time.

When the first colonial captain-general to the region, António Tavares, arrived in 1751, he started to build up an administration, and to consolidate plans for defense and further expansion; by 1772, when the captaincy's fourth governor, Luís Pereira e Cáceres [pt], arrived to take power, these were already somewhat established. He soon determined that the planned fort in the Paraguay River be built. Besides the previously planned border demarcation purpose, it would also serve to inhibit the frequent raids by the Payaguá and Kadiwéu indians. Captain Matias Ribeiro da Costa was sent to accomplish this task, with instructions to build the fort somewhere near where the settlement of Porto Murtinho is located today, some 300 kilometers further downriver than where the fort was actually built (the expedition made a mistake). The captain's expedition was made up of 245 men in 15 canoes, guided by an elderly indian man. They set off from Cuiabá on 22 July 1775, and founded the fort on 13 September of the same year. It was called the "Presídio de Coimbra". The place where the fort lies was previously called St. Francis's Narrows, because the Paraguay River became narrower there.

The New Coimbra Fort

In 1791, due to the bad state of the fort's structure, which had been damaged by a fire and Kadiwéu attacks, works were started to renew it, this time using masonry. This was also in part motivated by the Spanish building Forts Borbon and of San Carlos del Apa in the region. Then captain-general Caetano Montenegro [pt] ordered it to be built "in the edge of the hill, where two great lengths of the Paraguay River present themselves at an obtuse angle, which will be then flanked by the new fort, something the old base wouldn't do."

From 1796 onwards, lieutenant colonel Ricardo Serra [pt], a military engineer and geographer, took charge of the construction. His plans for the fort show the original base besides the new one, which was adapted to its terrain, an irregular star fort. Its walls had loopholes and surrounded the entire fort, meeting its hill's slope as it declined. It had room for two batteries of 8 guns set horizontally, which could fire across each other onto the river. To the southeast, a moat protected the fort from ground assaults. Inside the fort, there was a chapel, an arsenal and quarters for its troops. Ricardo Serra would command the fort until 1806; he was buried in it after his death in 1809.

In September 1801, the new fort was still being built when an expedition composed of four schooners and two canoes, carrying 600 men, attacked it; they were led by Lázaro de Ribeira [es], the intendant of Paraguay. The fort encroached on Spanish land, as established in the Treaty of Madrid, and news of peace in the War of the Oranges hadn't yet reached the region. The Brazilians had been previously warned by the now friendly Kadiwéu indians of the expedition's existence, and, though the fort was garrisoned by only 42 men, it resisted the initial assault and then a 10-day siege, after which the Paraguayans withdrew due to the lack of supplies and storm damage on the ships. Throughout the action, the Paraguayans lost 20 men.

In 1851 the fort's weaponry was improved by the addition of four 24-pounder guns and some smaller 9 and 6 pounder guns which had laid since 1820 in the Guaporé River, planned to be installed at the Forte Príncipe da Beira further north. It was expanded and repaired between 1855 and 1856. In 1855, Mato Grosso's government was briefly transferred to the fort by then-provincial president Augusto Leverger amidst tensions with Paraguay.

Just before the Paraguayan War, the fort's status was reported to the provincial president as follows: "In the 30th of the last month I arrived here from Fort Coimbra, to where I led the province's artillery battalion. Your Excellency will probably have received a memorandum regarding that Fort's condition, as well as other measures taken by the Hon. Sir Commander of Arms, who returned with me that same day; I must tell Your Excellency, nevertheless, that said Fort's state is unsatisfactory, but that it can resist Paraguay's ships and maybe defend itself from land attacks. The Hon. Sir Commander of Arms has ordered some improvements and repairs be made which he understands will be advantageous, and he plans to fortify the Navy's old position in front of the Fort, so that they may fire across from each other and aid each other."

The Paraguayan War

Battle of Fort Novo de Coimbra
Part of the Paraguayan War

Paraguayan drawing published in El Cabichuí, depicting cannons firing on the fort and the Brazilian withdrawal
Date27 December 1864 - 29 December 1864
LocationNew Coimbra Fort
Result Paraguayan victory
Belligerents
 Empire of Brazil  Paraguay
Commanders and leaders
Empire of Brazil H. Portocarrero Paraguay Vicente Barrios
Strength
  • 3,200 soldiers
  • 12 guns
  • 11 warships
Casualties and losses
None 200 casualties
Paraguayan War
Mato Grosso campaign
Corrientes campaign
Humaitá campaign
Pikysyry campaign
Cordilleras campaign

The Paraguayan invasion, the opening move of the Mato Grosso Campaign, was made of five infantry batallions and two dismounted cavalry regiments, totalling 3200 men, with twelve rifled guns, a French-equipped rocket battery and the support of 11 warships, all under colonel Vicente Barrios's command. The fort's surrender was demanded on 27 December 1864.

Though the fort's commander was captain Benito de Faria, lieutenant colonel Hermenegildo Portocarrero, commander of all artillery in Mato Grosso and of the Lower Paraguay Military District happened to be there on a routine inspection, and took over its command due to the Paraguayan attack. He replied to the Paraguayan demands with a letter stating "only through luck and the honor of arms will we deliver the fort".

The fort then held 11 functioning bronze smoothbore guns, plus another 20 in need of repairs, and a garrison of 125 regular officers and men, 30 national guards, some custom guards, 6 prisoners and 24 "tame indians". For two days the Paraguayans made intense attacks. The fort's troops' families aided with reloading and the wounded. Lacking the resources necessary to resist the attack and with no reinforcements available nearby, the fort was orderly evacuated between 28 and 29 December by the gunboat Anhambaí. During the action, the Paraguayan forces suffered circa 200 casualties from failed assaults and reconnaissance actions, and the Brazilians suffered no losses. The fort (and its guns) fell under enemy control, and remained under it until April 1868, when the Paraguayans abandoned it, taking away its guns and stores.

After the war ended (in 1870), the fort began to be rebuilt. It had suffered extensive damage during the conflict, with its walls being almost completely destroyed by Paraguayan artillery fire. In 1872, works to expand its west wall were started.

The 20th century and beyond

Between 1907 and 1908 the fort was once again upgraded by the addition of two 120mm Armstrong guns from the ironclad Barroso. New quarters were built beside the fort in 1930. By then, the fort was armed with four 6 inch guns.

The fort was listed as a heritage site by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 1974. Nowadays, the fort hosts the 3rd Frontier Company - Coimbra Fort, which is part of the 18th Frontier Infantry Brigade of the Brazilian Army's Western Military Command. In 2002, said company was designated the Portocarrero Company; in 2016, it was downsized into a platoon. The fort also has a display of historical artillery pieces, hosting the following guns:

Name Image Type Origin Quantity Usage
Whitworth 32 Rifled muzzle loader  United Kingdom 5 1880-1907
Whitworth 70 Rifled muzzle loader  United Kingdom 3 1880-1907
Nordenfelt 57mm Light coastal defense gun  United Kingdom 5 1884-1907
Krupp M1903 Field gun  German Empire 2 1907-1940
Armstrong-Whitworth 120mm Naval gun  United Kingdom 2 1907-1940
Whitworth 152,4mm Naval gun  United Kingdom 4 1940-1986
Vickers-Armstrong 152,4mm Field gun  United Kingdom 2 1986-1992

The fort's legends and traditions

There is a local tale that claims that when the fort was being initially built, Thomas the Apostle passed through its first planned site (further downriver from the actual one) on a journey to Peru, which would have made the place holy and unsuitable for military occupation. Amongst the officers of the fort there is a tradition of devoutness to the Virgin of Carmel, and a custom of, when one of them reaches the rank of general, no matter where they are serving, to send back to her shrine in the fort one of the gold stars of their epaulettes.

In the second day of the 1864 siege, it is said that an army musician raised an image of the Virgin of Carmel over the fort's walls and shouted "long live Our Lady of Mount Carmel", under orders from Portocarrero's wife; the Paraguayans stopped firing and started to shout "long live Our Lady". This allowed some of the fort's women to discreetly head down to the river to collect water for its defenders.

Notes

  1. A name that stems from Hermenegildo Portocarrero, the Brazilian military officer who commanded the fort's garrison at the start of the Paraguayan War; the fort was never formally named thus, but the Coastal Artillery Group which garrisons it was named Portorcarrero Group in his honor.
  2. This is a translation from the original Portuguese, which reads "na ponta do morro, onde fazem um grande ângulo obtuso dois compridos estirões do Paraguai, que ficarão flanqueados pelo novo forte, o que não faria a antiga estacada."
  3. This is a translation from the original Portuguese, which reads: "A 30 do mês findo cheguei aqui de volta do Forte de Coimbra, para onde fui conduzindo o batalhão de artilharia da província. Provavelmente V. Exa. terá recebido uma participação circunstanciada do estado daquele forte, assim como de outras diligências procedidas pelo exmo. Sr. Comandante das Armas, que comigo regressou no mesmo dia; todavia direi à V. Exa. que não é satisfatório o estado do dito forte, contudo pode resistir aos navios do Paraguai e defender-se talvez de seus ataques por terra. O exmo. sr. Comandante das Armas determinou alguns melhoramentos e serviços que entende serão de vantagem, e pretende fortificar a antiga posição da Marinha em frente ao mesmo forte, de modo que, cruzando os fogos, se auxiliem mutuamente."

References

Citations

  1. "DECRETO-LEI Nº 4.027, DE 16 DE JANEIRO DE 1942".
  2. ^ "Forte de Coimbra" (PDF). DaCultura (in Portuguese). 1 (2). Fundação Cultural do Estado da Bahia. 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2010.
  3. ^ Bento, Cláudio. "FORTE DE COIMBRA: DOIS SÉCULOS DE HISTÓRIA, DE FÉ E DE GLÓRIAS" (PDF). Revista da Academia de História Militar Terrestre do Brasil (in Portuguese). Academia de História Militar Terrestre do Brasil.
  4. Maestri, Mário (2015). "A invasão paraguaia do sul do Mato Grosso". Revista Contraponto. 4 (2). ISSN 2236-6822.
  5. ^ Sousa 1885, p. 134.
  6. Garrido 1940, p. 160.
  7. Barreto 1958.
  8. ^ Sousa 1885, p. 134-135.
  9. Corrêa Filho 1925, p. 136-143.
  10. Corrêa Filho 1925, p. 146.
  11. Guimarães 1964, p. 37.
  12. Benítes 1919, p. 31.
  13. Souza 1919, p. 11-12.
  14. ^ Barreto 1958, p. 303.
  15. Sousa 1885, p. 135.
  16. ^ Garrido 1940, p. 163.
  17. Barreto 1958, p. 302-303.
  18. Almeida 2019, p. 61.
  19. Almeida 2019, p. 65.
  20. Almeida 2019, p. 93.

Sources

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