Ruins of Spanish Fort on El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador - Encircle Photos

33 Ruins of Spanish Fort on El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador

Defining the southeastern border of Historic Quito is a 9,895 foot mount. The Incas called it Shungoloma. After the fall of their empire in 1533, the Spaniards renamed it El Panecillo because it resembles a small loaf of bread. The conquerors quickly recognized the strategic value of this elevation. They built a fort with cannons pointing in every direction. In 1812, this Spanish defense was stormed and seized by rebels during the Ecuadorian War of Independence. The success was short lived. Within weeks, the Spanish recaptured the hill and resumed control over the city. A clash a decade later had a different outcome. During the Battle of Pichincha in 1822, the patriots defeated the Spanish and won Quito’s freedom. These are the sparse ruins of the former Spanish fort.

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Ruins of Spanish Fort on El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador

Agoyán y Rio Verde, El Panecillo, Quito 170111, Ecuador

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