A Famosa

You can't say that you have been to Malacca if you have not visited the A'Famosa. I am totally agreed with this. It is one of the most famous structures in Malacca and definately one of the world oldest surviving example of the European architecture in Asia and an evident of the Portuguese occupation in Malacca hundreds of years ago.

Location & structure

It is located at the foothill of St Paul Hill. A Famosa or Porta De Santiago is one of the four main gates of the Fortress and is the only remain left of the once the mighty fortress.

The actual fortress has 4 main towers or gates. One for the use as resident of the captain, one for officer quarter, one for amunition and one 4 storey keep.

A'Famosa still manages to inspire the visitor looking at its remains. Looking old but still imposing, its gate has survived much punishment over the last five centuries. '

History

In 1511, Portuguese successfully conqured Malacca.

The Portuguese quickly built a temporary wall to defence from the local Malay attack. Later in 1512 Alfonso D Albuquerque started to built the fortress using force labour and use the boulders taken from the ruin of the palace, mosque, tomstone to defence his strong hold of the land.

The Portuguese had turned the fortress into a Christian city with brick building including 5 churches, a monastery, a chapel, a hospital, captain and bishop's palace and a castle.

Later the the fortress was expanded to the nearby hill and European settlement like, Jalan Gereja, Jln Kota, Jalan Istana, Jalan Mahkamah.

In 1583, Malacca had become a fortified city protected by seventy cannons aimed in all directions.

The magnificent fortress has sucessfully protected the Portuguess for 150 years until it was overrun by the Dutch 1641.

In order to capture Melacca, the Dutch laid seige around the fortress for 5 months with the help of Sultan of Johor, while Malacca's citizen were reduced to eating cat and rats, and there was a case of a women eating her dead infant.

Finally in 14th January 1641, the Dutch stormed into the fort throught the Santo Domingo Gate, by which time, the casulty totalled 7000, some die of famine, disease, hunger or gunfire.

The fortress was damaged by the Dutch during the attack but later the Dutch repaired it. It was also given a facelift and 'Anno 1670' was inscribed on the arch of the gate.

The fortress changed hand again in the 19th century when the British took over from Dutch. The Dutch handed over to British to prevent it from falling into the hand of Napoleon's expansionist France.

The British knowing that the Dutch will eventually take back the Malacca, tried to destroy the fortress and relocated the population to Penang. Sir Stamford Raffle, founder of Singapore, who has a passion for history was there to stop the last gate, A'Famosa from demolished.