São Miguel fort was built in 1576 by Paulo Dias de Novais.

The fort was for many years a self-contained town protected by thick walls encrusted with cannons.

[1] Inside the fort, elaborate ceramic tiles tell the story of Angola from early years.

The courtyard has large, imposing statues of Portugal's first king, the first European to reach Angola, explorers Diogo Cão and Vasco da Gama, and other notables.

The fort was renamed and adapted as the Museu Nacional de História Militar.