Fort Immanuel
Fort Immanuel, in Fort Kochi, was built by the Portuguese in the 1500s. Soon after their arrival to Kochi, the Portuguese made a strategic alliance with the king. Fort Immanuel, named after the then Portuguese monarch, King Immanuel, represents one of their major efforts in this regard.
The fort was built in the year 1503 and reinforced in 1538. It was a massive structure and the entire township was within its confines. It greatly helped in strengthening the Portuguese occupation of the area. In the 17th century, when the Dutch invaded Kochi, they destroyed the fort and all other Portuguese monuments in the area, except a few. The early decades of 19th century bore witness to the British invasion and a demolition spree of Portuguese monuments.
By 1806, the fort was in pieces. Now, only remnants can be seen on the Fort Kochi beach. Some relics are kept in the basement of the Indo-Portuguese Museum at the Bishop’s House.
Chinese fishing nets / Vasco da Gama Square
