Villa nenasilu
The
Marvelous
City
Galle is a city on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. It’s known for Galle Fort, the fortified old city founded by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century. Stone sea walls, expanded by the Dutch, encircle car-free streets with architecture reflecting Portuguese, Dutch and British rule. Notable buildings include the 18th-century Dutch Reformed Church. Galle Lighthouse stands on the fort’s southeast tip.
HISTORICAL REFERENCE
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The Bay of Galle has been used since ancient times. Known to exist in 545, it protects one of the oldest commercial ports of the Levant. In the 14th century, Galle's port was one of the most active in Sri Lanka.
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In 1505, the Portuguese settled on the island. They established a trading post in Galle in 1507, and constructed the small fort of Santa Cruz. At the end of the 16th century, after moving temporarily to Colombo, they returned to Galle and erected a rampart at the north end of the peninsula, on the side of the isthmus. In 1625, when the island was threatened by the Dutch, they added three bastions to this rampart.
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The Dutch troops captured the modest Portuguese garrison and transformed it into a powerful fortress. They built a rampart around the entire island, with a double wall to close the peninsula on the side of the isthmus. The British, French, Danish and Spanish coveted this Dutch fortress on the Indian Ocean. In the 18th century, Galle enjoyed a period without threat.
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Under British rule from 1796, it maintained its regional administrative function. Following the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, the island became a British colony, a status it held until 1948.
