Template:Infobox military installation
Fort Assunção[1] or Corjuem Fort is a fortress situated Template:Convert from the village of Aldona on the river island of Corjuem, Goa. It was a military fortress for the defense of Portuguese India. It is smaller than the other forts in Goa, but it gives a good view of the surrounding river and land. It is a protected monument under the Goa, Daman and Diu Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.[2]
Corjuem Fort is Template:Convert from Panjim.
Location
The Fort of Corjuem (Template:Langx) is situated on an island with the same name in Bardez, to the east of the village of Aldona, from which it is separated by the Mapuçá River (a tributary of the Mandovi). It is one of the only two inland forts that are surviving that are made of pitted laterite.
History
Under the Portuguese Viceroy Caetano de Mello e Castro, the control of the island came back under Portuguese India's administration.[3][4] This fort built in 1705, by the Portuguese, as a defense against Maratha aggression, and was subsequently rebuilt and reinforced by them to boost up defenses along Panjim. In the eighteenth century, this fort successfully protected the Portuguese from the Bhonsles and the Ranes, who were camped just beyond the Mandovi River.
In the early 1800s, the fort was used as a Military School and had in its defenses a battery of four guns. The fortress defended the town of Corjuem and also has a chapel under the parochial church of Aldona. The fort fell into disuse after the success of Novas Conquistas, as it had lost its purpose as a border defense.[6]
Development of Corjuem
Since the early 1800s[7] the custodian of the island and Fort have been Joao Filippe Ferreira and his descendants.[8][9][10] He also installed the altar of St. Anthony in the Fort. His family was influential in the construction of the 5 chapels and 3 temples in the village as well as being the benefactors of the Corjuem Gymkhana and the Mae de Deus School Corjuem.[11] They developed the island post 1961, working with the authorities on roads, electrification and both the bridges.
Corjuem which was earlier just a ward of Aldona with no separate parish, first considered as a separate village in the Census of 1971 with 467 people, now has over 2,700 and comes under the Aldona Panchayat.
The Fort is currently under restoration by the Directorate of Archaeology Govt of Goa with backing from the Alvares Ferreira and Ferreira Rangel families.[12]
Folklore
The fort also has an interesting incident in which an ambitious Portuguese woman named Ursula e Lancastre, who determined to see the man's world, dressed as a male and took up navigation and military roles. She landed up at Corjuem as a soldier and many years later, voluntarily revealed her gender as she wished to marry a man.[13]
The famous Dekhni song Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Voitam" by Carlos Eugenio Ferreira, grandson of Joao Fillipe Ferreira was written about crossing the river behind Corjuem Fort[14]
Santuário de Santo António de Lisboa
There is a Shrine dedicated to St. Anthony within the walls of the fort, at its entrance. It is under the ownership of the Parish of Aldona and is regularly patronized and renovated.
References
- ↑ Joaquim Pedro Celestino Soares: Bosquejo das possessoes portuguezas no Oriente Imprensa nacional, 1851
- ↑ Goa government to restore Corjuem fort. Times of India(Aug 19, 2014). Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ↑ pt:Caetano de Melo e Castro, Retrieved 10 May 2012Template:Circular reference
- ↑ Historical and Archaeological Sketch of the City of Goa{{#if:da Fonseca|, da Fonseca}. Thacker & Co.(January 1878)
- ↑ After renovation, Corjuem Fort to see heritage tourism(3 June 2023).
- ↑ Historical and Archaeological Sketch of the City of Goa{{#if:da Fonseca|, da Fonseca}. Thacker & Co.(January 1878)
- ↑ https://corjuemisland.com/
- ↑ Khorjuve also known as Corjuem in Goa, Corjuem fort information, About the Corjuem Aldona bridge, Places to visit in Corjuem.
- ↑ Corjuem Village Population - Bardez - North Goa, Goa.
- ↑ Corjuem Fort (January 2026) Timings,Tickets,reviews,Tips,Contact number.
- ↑ Preserving the Past: Corjuem Fort Emerges as a Beacon of Heritage Tourism(2 June 2023).
- ↑ After renovation, Corjuem Fort to see heritage tourism(3 June 2023).
- ↑ Lonely Planet : Goa{{#if:Bryn Thomas|, Bryn Thomas}. Lonely Planet(Feb 1998). ISBN 0864424884
- ↑ https://epaper.navhindtimes.in/PageImages/pdf/2025/06/08/0806025-md-ga-13.pdf Template:Bare URL PDF
Template:Coord Template:Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese empire
- ↑ Corjuem fort to be developed as heritage touristic destination. timesofindia(Oct 2018).