Porta De Santiago (A Famosa)
Porta De Santiago (A Famosa) which translates to 'The Famous' in Portuguese
is one of the few oldest surviving remnants of European architecture in the
whole of Asia. It was built in 1511 under the command of Alfonso de Albuquerque.
The fortress was built to consolidate their gains in Malacca after they defeated
the armies of the Malacca Sultanate.
At that time, the Portuguese believed that Malacca would someday become a vital
port which links Portugal to the spice trade from China. The Porta De Santiago
(A Famosa) that we see today was once made up of long ramparts and four major
towers. One of the towers was a four-storey keep while the other housed the
residence of the captain, officers' quarters and an ammunition storage room.
The fort changed hands in 1641 when the Dutch successfully drove the Portuguese
out of Malacca. After the Dutch got their hands on the A Famosa, they placed
their company logo, the 'VOC' coat of arms about the gates of Porta De Santiago
(A Famosa). 'VOC' is the abbreviation of Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie.
Even today, if you look at the Porta de Santiago, you can still see the VOC coat
of arms on the shield carried by the soldier on the right side of the logo. The
Dutch then handed the fort over to the British in the early 19th century. The
English, being wary of maintaining the fort gave orders to the British Governor
of Pahang to demolish it. The fort was saved by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1810 as
he stopped the demolishing and saved what we see today.
There are many other attractions around the Porta De Santiago (A Famosa) such as
the Islamic Museum of Malacca, the Architecture Museum of Malacca, the Malacca
Sultanate Palace and the St Paul's Church. With so many places to visit, do
consider staying over at any hotels in Malacca. There are many hotels to choose
from so do not worry about the accommodation here.
Getting There
The A Famosa is located just next to the Stadthuys Building. There are not many
choices of public transport in Melaka. The easiest way to get to Porta De
Santiago (A Famosa) is by driving there or get on a taxi. Locals would be able
to lead you there as it is a famous landmark in Melaka.
folder_open Attractions in Melaka