The history of the city’s foundation mixes with the history of the Magi’s Fortress, one of the most beautiful, suggestive and well built of the Brazilian coast. Its construction was initiated on January 6th, 1598 (day of the Magi), by Manoel Mascarenhas colonizing fleet (Pernambuco’s main captain), fulfilling the letters from Felipe II, in a time when the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal were united.


Besides building an important support point for the so called at that time Captaincy of Rio Grande, which was possessed by the French, who had already established a good relationship with the potiguare Indians for financial purposes, the fortress ended up being the first essential part which originated the city of Natal, founded right on next Christmas, by Jerônimo de Albuquerque to whom Manoel Mascarenhas had handed over command of that fortification.

In 1663, the fortress was taken by the Dutch in a bloodbath and started to be called Keulen Castle and the city of Natal was re-baptized as New Amsterdam. It was only in 1654 that it would be handed over to the Portuguese again. After that, the Dutch founded another colony with the same name, in North America, but they were again expelled in 1664, this time by the English, who started to call it New York.

Fonte:http://www.portaldosol.com.br