Paper short abstract:

Santa Catarina possessed an interesting defensive system built Colonial America, where it started the urban occupation of the island. The constructions were designed by a military-engineer, who planned a set of fortifications capable of defending the island through a triangular line of defense.

Paper long abstract:

In the early XVIII century, the Portuguese Empire in America had it's territory defined by natural limits. In the southern part, the frontier was disputed by the Iberian Countries in the River Plate region. To guarantee the access to that watershed, the Portuguese had, in 1680, founded The Colony of Sacramento, a stronghold on the opposite side of Buenos Aires. TheColony has turned out into a major offense to the Spanish Crown, who saw in the initiative a way of contraband and embezzlement of silver from their colonies.

Since the foundation of The Colony of Sacramento, the southern frontier had become an issue for both Iberian Countries, once the border line of the Treaty of Tordesilhas were clearly exceeded. To insure the mastery of the territory, the Portuguese started a number of occupations among the coast - which the most important was the Island Of Santa Catarina. These occupations started with a fortress or stronghold, according to the local topography, and using local manpower and materials.

As an example of village structured around its fortress, the island of Santa Catarina presents an interesting case of the portuguese military engineering in the XVIII century. Its townscape growth from the fortress, but the defensive system was planned as a set of fortifications built to ensure the safety of the ships, functioning in a tri-angle system, not as the others standard defensive projects.