Fortress of São Miguel

São Miguel fort was built in 1576 by Paulo Dias de Novais. It became the administrative center of the colony in 1627. It was a major site for slave traffic that was exported to Brazil. The fort was for many years a self-contained town protected by thick walls encrusted with cannons. Inside the fort, elaborate ceramic tiles tell the story of Angola from early years. The courtyard has large, imposing statues of Portugal's first king, the first European to reach Angola, explorers Diogo Cão and Vasco da Gama, and other notables. Until 1975, the fortress served as the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Armed Forces in Angola. Today, it holds the Museum of the Armed Forces. Between 1938 and 1958, it held the Museu de Angola, until that was relocated. The fort was renamed and adapted as the Museu Nacional de História Militar.