Fortress of Saint Anthony of Ratones
The Santo Antônio Fortress is located on the island of Ratones Grande, in the North Bay of Santa Catarina Island, in Florianópolis. This fortress formed the third vertex of the fire triangle designed by Brigadier José da Silva Paes and its construction began in 1740. Its main buildings are located in a line on the upper level, flanked by the slope and facing the sea. The most significant buildings are the Portada, the Fonte D'Água and the Aqueduct. In addition to its expressive architectural heritage, the Island of Ratones Grande presents a lush natural landscape, formed by Atlantic Forest.
Abandoned for decades, it was already completely ruined when it was listed in 1938 as a National Historical and Artistic Heritage Site. In the 1980s, the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN) coordinated the first archeological work and joint efforts to clean up the vegetation that had completely covered the fortress. Between 1990 and 1991, within the scope of the “Fortalezas da Ilha de Santa Catarina Project – 250 years in Brazilian History”, the restoration of most of the buildings of the Fortaleza de Ratones was completed, which began to be maintained and managed by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), together with the fortresses of Anhatomirim and Ponta Grossa.
