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The Fortaleza del Cerro, also known as Fortaleza General Artigas, and is a fortress situated in Montevideo in the nation of Uruguay, is shown here in an early 1900s image. Construction started in 1809 and the fort was completed in 1839. It was the last Spanish fort built in Uruguay. The first lighthouse was established here in 1802 before the fort was built, but it was destroyed in the Guerra Grande War, which was essentially the Uruguay Civil War, that lasted from 1839 to 1851. During that time the fortress was under a nine year siege, but remained the capital of the county. After the war, a new lighthouse was built and first lighted on July 16, 1852 and reportedly rebuilt in 1907. Today it is part of a military museum that has operated at the site since 1916.
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