FORT PILAR GROUNDS

Did you know that October is Museum and Galleries month?

Well, so timely, that during a Photowalk, I was able to make a short tour within the Fort Pilar Museum grounds minus the museum tour because it was close to 5 p.m. and they were already closing!

Here is what I picked up from Wikipedia:

The Royal Fort of Our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza (commonly known as Fort Pilar) is a 17th century military defense fortress built by the Spanish colonial government in Zamboanga City, Philippines. The fort, which is now a regional museum of the National Museum of the Philippines, is the major landmark of Zamboanga City and a symbol of the city's cultural heritage. Outside the eastern wall is a Marian shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the city.

Here are images of the Fort Pilar grounds which I would like to share with you!

Central grounds and Courtyard.

 

 

 Well.

 

my photowalk buddies...

Juvee's great idea

Visitors.

We saw this cute little girl and some families and group of students who strolled in the Fort Pilar grounds.

More so, there were also pictorials for pre-nups and debuts at the time we visited.

Niche.

 To the Walls.

Cannons.
A Fort always has cannons.

From Wikipedia.

In 1635, upon the requests of the Jesuit missionaries and Bishop Fray Pedro of Cebu, the Spanish governor of the Philippines Juan Cerezo de Salamanca (1633–1635) approved the building of a stone fort in defense against pirates and raiders of the sultans of Mindanao and Jolo. The cornerstone of the fort, originally called Real Fuerza de San José (Royal Fort of Saint Joseph), was laid by Melchor de Vera, a Jesuit priest-engineer, on June 23, 1635, which also marks the founding of Zamboanga as a city, then known as Jambangan.

View from the Walls.

Paseo Del Mar 

Bangko Central ng Pilipinas and one of the walls

back to courtyard

Entrance to the Museum.

Outer Walls.

Fort Pilar Shrine also composes one wall of the Fort Pilar.

From Wikipedia:

It was in 1734, when a relief of the Our Lady of the Pillar was placed above the eastern wall of the fort making it an outdoor shrine with an altar for praying. Tradition reveals the Virgin Mary appeared to a soldier on December 6, 1734, at the gate of the city. Not recognizing her, the soldier asked her to stop. Upon recognizing her, he fell down to his knees.

Fiesta Pilar 2012

Visit the Fort Pilar Museum this October. Admission is free for the whole month of October.