| Fort Thomas (Tangasseri Fort) | |
|---|---|
| Fortaleza de São Tomé | |
 Front view | |
| Location | Tangasseri,Kollam city, Kerala,India |
| Coordinates | 8°52′54″N76°34′07″E / 8.8816°N 76.5685°E /8.8816; 76.5685 |
| Built | 1518 |
| Architect | Portuguese |
| Architectural styles | Portuguese Colonial, Built usingsandstone and lime mortar |
  Location of Fort Thomas Show map of Kollam(Tangasseri Fort) in Kollam  St Thomas Fort (Kerala) Show map of Kerala St Thomas Fort (India) Show map of India | |
Fort Thomas orSt. Thomas Fort orFortaleza de São Tomé, also known asTangasseri Fort, is a ruinedfort located in the beach town ofTangasseri on the shores of theArabian Sea in the city ofKollam,Kerala, India. It is located around 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city center ofKollam and 71 kilometres (44 mi) from the state capitalThiruvananthapuram.[1]
Tangasseri was associated with the Chinese trade from the first millennium AD and later colonised by thePortuguese,Dutch and theBritish to become the "gold village". According to Historians, Captain Rodriguez came to Quilon and was appointed as the captain of thefactory and trade, with permission from the queen. St.Thomas Fort (once known as Fortaleza de São Tomé) was built by the Portuguese underAfonso de Albuquerque for the protection of the newly developed trade. In 1505 the Portuguese established a trading port here, and in 1518 established its sovereignty through the construction of Fort St. Thomas. Later in 1661 the town and the fort were handed over to the Dutch who made it the capital ofDutch Malabar. The Dutch occupied the fort for several years. In 1795, theBritish East India Company took possession of the fort. In 1823 Fort St. Thomas accepted a lease byTravancore from the British government for a period of twenty years.[2][3]
Fort St. Thomas was originally around 20 feet (6.1 m) tall. Today, the little remains of the fort, popularly known as "Tangasseri fort" remain facing the beach. At present, the fort is managed by theArchaeological Survey of India (ASI).[4]
Parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon
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