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Santo Antônio de Ratones Fortress is located on Ratones Grande Island, on the northern bay of Santa Catarina Island, between Gamboa Point and Sambaqui Point, in Florianópolis, on the coast of Santa Catarina State, Brazil.



The island of Ratón Grande is the largest of the two so-called "Ratones" islands, according to Spanish explorer D. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (1492-15 ??), who was appointed governor of the River Plate, docked on 29 December. March 1541 to the northern bay of the island of Santa Catarina where it remained a few months. In his work "Comments", however, the designation "ratones" is applied to stones in the waters of the port of Santiago de Cabo Verde, which "gnawed" at the anchor chains of ships, and where his squadron called before. to reach the island of Santa Catarina.



Under the invocation of Santo Antonio de Lisboa, this fortress, along with the other two of the north bar (the Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim Fortress and the São José da Ponta Grossa Fortress, and the south bar (the Fortress of Our Lady) Conceição de Araçatuba) was part of the defensive system of the island of Santa Catarina in the 18th century, and helped to consolidate the occupation of southern Brazil, acting as a strategic base for maintaining Portuguese rule over the Sacramento Colony.



Designed and built by the military engineer, Brigadeiro José da Silva Pais, first governor of the Captaincy of Santa Catarina (1739-1745), his work began shortly after those of the Ponta Grossa Fortress (1740), and, like it, was completed. about four years later (BOITEUX, 1912: 208 apud CABRAL, 1972: 12). Garnished, was artillery with thirteen pieces, distributed in two batteries to the barbette.

Ratones Fortress: aspect of the Gate of Arms.

Ratone fortress: aspect of the Cistern door.

Ratones Fortress: Cistern Corridor.



In 1760, by determination of the Marquis of Pombal (1750-1777), the governor of the captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, Captain General Gomes Freire de Andrade (1733-1763), sent the military engineer Lieutenant Colonel José Custódio de Sá e Faria , from the Royal Corps of Engineers, to survey the defenses of the island of Santa Catarina, erected by Brigadier José da Silva Pais. As in the other fortifications it made small repairs and reinforcement in the artillery. At that time it had twelve pieces of iron (five of 24 gauge, three of 18, three of 12 and one of 4), and two of bronze of 12 gauge.



Regular attractions include the exhibition of photographs "Fortaleza de Santo Antônio - Retrospective" in the Barracks of the Troop, the Ratones Grande ecological trail, intended for the practice of ecological tourism and environmental education, allowing the integration of visitors with marine and marine environments. Atlantic Forest, as well as the fauna associated with these environments, an Photovoltaic Plant (solar energy panels) installed on an educational basis, and the project to create mussels ("sea farm").



Visits can be made daily, by the local schooner services that make sea trips in the region, departing from different points of the city: near the Hercílio Luz bridge, Beira Mar Norte and Canasvieiras beach. It is still possible to reach the place by Sambaqui beach, fifteen kilometers from downtown Florianópolis, where there are boatmen who make the sea crossing of approximately three kilometers.



Among the structures erected by Silva Pais, this is perhaps the one that has undergone the least subsequent alterations. Protected in the rear by the rocky slope of the island, where a remnant of Atlantic Forest is preserved, the fortification has an organic polygonal "L" shaped plant, with about 800 square meters of built area.



Aligned on the larger side of the embankment are the buildings of the Officers 'and Troops' Barracks, the Casa da Palamenta, the Farinha Storeroom, the Powder Warehouse (with two floors) and the Calabouço, which are lined with a stone wall. It develops to the north, in a curved shape, running straight to the northwest. With the exception of the Gunpowder Storehouse, which is elevated as a whole, the buildings are all located on a single plateau, adorned by a curved stone wall that extends to the north and runs straight northwest.



The building material used was the local rhyolite rock, except for the stonework present at the gates gate (in pink granite), the water fountain and the staircase to access the gunpowder store. All the masonry on the walls and buildings was plastered and whitewashed.

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