Fuerte Bulnes is a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

located by the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pass ...

, 62 km south of

Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (; historically Sandy Point in English) is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of Chile's southernmost Regions of Chile, region, Magallanes Region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. The city was officially renamed as Magal ...

. It was founded in 1843 on a rocky hill at Punta Santa Ana, and named after President Manuel Bulnes Prieto. The fort was built to further the president's colonization policies in Southern Chile and protect the Strait of Magellan. He directed construction to ward off claims by other nations. Chiloé's intendant (governor), Domingo Espiñeira Riesco, ordered construction of a

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

to sail to that location. He originally commissioned it in the president's name, but Bulnes had the ship renamed ''

Ancud Ancud () is a city in southern Chile located in the northernmost part of the island and province of Chiloé, in Los Lagos Region. It is the second largest city of Chiloé Archipelago after Castro. The city was established in 1768 to function as ...

'', for where it was built. She sailed from

on May 22, 1843, under command of John Williams Wilson, a British-born

Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Origins and the W ...

officer. ''Ancud'' arrived at Punta Santa Ana on September 21, 1843, about 2 km from

Puerto del Hambre Ciudad del Rey Don Felipe, also known as Puerto del Hambre (Port Famine), is a historic settlement site at ''Buena Bay'' (locally known as Mansa Bay) on the north shore of the Strait of Magellan approximately south of Punta Arenas in the Reg ...

. Williams directed the construction of a fort here, using mainly logs and dirt and grass 'bricks'. Although the president wanted to establish a town, the harsh weather prevented attracting a large and stable population. As a result, after six years, the local governor founded

in the Sandy Point area in 1848. Once people had migrated there, military forces abandoned and destroyed the fort. Lieutenant Cambiazo supervised its burning. Between 1941 and 1943, the government directed the fort to be reconstructed as a historic monument. The replica includes the church, chaplain's quarters, jail, powder magazine, post office and stables. It was declared a

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

in 1968. Today, it is administered by a private company.

References

Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos, Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile, Nueva York: D. Appleton y Compania, 1899, pg. 582 "Puerto del Hambre"
* {{coord, 53, 37.8, S, 70, 55.1, W, display=title, region:CL_type:landmark_source:GNS-enwiki, name=Fuerte Bulnes 19th-century fortifications in Chile Buildings and structures in Magallanes Region Populated places established in 1843 Strait of Magellan Tourist attractions in Magallanes Region National Monuments of Chile 1843 establishments in Chile Coastal fortifications in Chile Brunswick Peninsula