Fort Santiago is a defence fortress built by Miguel López de Legaspi and part of the structure of the walled city of Intramuros, in Manila, Philippines. Originally, the palisade of Rajah Soliman , chieftain of Maynila, was at this location. Fort Santiago, lying at the southern banks of the Pasig River near the mouth, is where Jose Rizal, the country's national hero was detained before his execution in 1896.
Located at the mouth of the Pasig River, it was once the prime defence fortress of the Spanish Empire in the Philippines. It was heavily damaged during the Battle of Manila in February 1945 and was restored by the Intramuros Administration during 1980's. It now houses the ruins of American and Spanish barracks, the Plaza Armas, the dungeons used by the Japanese during World War II and the Rizal Shrine .
