Fodor's Expert Review Forte de Nossa Senhora da Assunção

Built by the Dutch in 1649, this fort was originally baptized Forte Schoonemborch. In 1655 it was seized by the Portuguese and renamed after the city's patron saint, Nossa Senhora da Assunção. It was rebuilt in 1817 and is now a military headquarters. The city took its name from this fortress (fortaleza), which still has the cell where the mother of one of Ceará's most famous writers, José de Alencar, was jailed. Guided tours are led by the soldiers themselves, although few speak English.