The Fuerte de la Concepción y del Triunfo (Fort of the Conception and the Triumph), also known as Fuerte de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Triunfo (Fort of Our Lady of the Conception of Triumph), Fort of Misamis, and Triunfo Fort, is a citadel first built by Spanish Jesuit priest and commander José Ducos as a Spanish fortress in the old town of Misamis (now known as the modern city of Ozamiz) in the island of Mindanao. The fort is an important historical landmark of the area as it symbolizes the city's cultural heritage. Outside of the fort's south wall is the Archdiocesan Marian Shrine of the Birhen sa Cotta, which is dedicated to the city's patron, Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción y del Triunfo de la Cruz de Migpangi. The shrine is a well known pilgrimage site in city. Background The fort is square in shape, with one of its side is facing the bay while the opposite side is facing the city. The fort has 4 bastions (baluarte), namely San Fernando, San Jose, Santiago and San Ignacio. The fort's material is mostly blocks made from a mixture of coral and sandstone joined together by lime. The stones were a common material used in buildings and these were mostly abundant in the nearby Panguil Bay and islands. At the fort's entrance is a large gate that was added during the fort's renovation. The gate features a bas relief of Saint James (Santiago in Spanish), adorned on its façade. History Construction 1754 was known back then as a time of great suffering for the people living in coastal towns and villages in southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Marauding pirates would appear, with no warning, and would burn the houses, crops, and carry away as many of the people as they could catch in order to be sold as slaves in Maguindanao, Sulu, Borneo or Indonesia. This problem led to the creation of a flotilla by the Spanish government, and a Spanish Jesuit missionary, Father José Ducos, was appointed as its commander in order to counter this scourge. After several victorious battles and when some peace was restored, it was decided to construct a stone fort at the mouth of Panguil Bay as a form of protection against future attacks. Construction of the fortress soon began in 1756. However, due to limited money for the payment of workers and