Fort Sint Michiel

Fort Sint Michiel is located in the Boka Sami neighborhood of the seaside village of St. Michiel, west of Willemstad on the Caribbean island of Curaçao in the Dutch Antilles.

It was likely built in 1701 and served as one of two batteries guarding the bay, with the other positioned on the northern side of the bay’s entrance.

In February 1713, French buccaneer Jacques Cassard anchored his ships in St. Kruis Bay and disembarked his men. Dutch troops were quickly dispatched to push them back, but after failing, they retreated to Willemstad and disabled the cannons at Fort Sint Michiel. Soon after, Cassard received a ransom and left.

By the mid-18th century, Fort Sint Michiel had fallen into neglect, but by the end of that century, its cannons often sheltered Dutch and American ships on the run from pirates.

In 1800, these two batteries were armed with 12 cannons, though three were unmounted. The operational guns included five eight-pounders, 2 twelve-pounders, and 2 eighteen-pounders. At that time, the island’s military command valued Fort Sint Michiel more than Fort Piscadera, leading to the construction of a small fort called Fort op den Berg on the hill behind Fort Sint Michiel. This smaller fort was equipped with 2 eight-pounders, 2 twelve-pounders, and 2 eighteen-pounders.

On August 29, 1800, a strong English warship hunting a French privateer was forced to retreat after taking heavy damage from shots fired by Fort Sint Michiel. A few days later, on September 4th, French troops captured the fort, only to abandon it on September 23rd. Dutch troops then occupied it until the island was transferred to the English on October 15th.

Following the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, the island was returned to the Dutch, and Fort Sint Michiel was repaired and garrisoned. However, the English took control again in 1807, only to leave in 1816 after the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, which marked the final end of its military importance.

I am unsure whether the northern battery and Fort op den Berg still exist. I did not see any evidence of them during my visit to Fort Sint Michiel, and they do not appear on any maps or in recent publications.

Fort Sint Michiel is freely accessible. When I visited, part of the fort’s walls were painted orange for a political gathering for the upcoming elections. That same area also functions as a very basic bar used by locals.

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