Forga Castle, tourist attraction on a reef of Mollendo

Nestled atop a reef in the city of Mollendo in Arequipa, it is the Castle Forga, that despite the passing years, is an image that impresses from every angle you look at it. There are only two castles of its kind in the world, the other is nestled on the coast of Morocco.

Its construction was in charge of an arequipan merchant and Spanish descent, Miguel Forga, between 1908 and 1910. It is of a eclectic architecture for its variety of styles such as Gothic, baroque ornaments, neoclassical cornices and the medieval style.

The building consists of 17 rooms on two levels, a balcony with stairs to the second level, a viewpoint at the top, hardwood floors, Venetian tiles and furniture imported from Europe.

In the summer time, the Forga family arrived on the train from Arequipa and opposite the castle, they were greeted by a red carpet, as well as their guests and guests, that by the color of their skin, was called «White House».

It was a place of very large and lavish social gatherings. Some of his guests were the daughters of President Augusto B. Leguia.

Forga failed in cotton trade in the fall of the New York Stock Exchange in 1929, he was indebted to the State, the government topped the castle 1950, and then it was acquired by the Archbishop of Arequipa, Monsignor Leonardo Rodriguez Ballon, calling it, Castle Montserrat.

This castle is a symbol of Mollendo and Historical Monument of the Nation in 1986. It is owned by the nephews of Bishop Rodriguez Ballon and is in regular conservation state, today is administered by the District Municipality of Mollendo.

How to get:

The Forga castle is in the district of Mollendo, in the Islay Province, to 116 km from Arequipa. From the Plaza de Armas of Arequipa, by car it will take you approximately 2 hours and a half. Google Maps shows you the route.

Video of Forga Castle of Mollendo

In this video one of the tourist attractions of the city of Mollendo: Forga Castle. The author of the video of canal Gustavo Rondón in Youtube, mentions a bill passed by Congress and proposed the restoration and preservation of this monument. More information en wikipedia y mincetur.gob.pe.

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