Muene Vunongue Fort

Built in 1887 to secure the Portuguese position in the region, Fort Muene Vunongue (also known as Fort de Menongue) was the origin of the formation of Serpa Pinto, some kilometers to the south, at the confluence of the Cuebe and Luauca rivers. The remains of this construction are still relevant, despite being visibly degraded, which is included in the list of classified cultural heritage in Angola, by order no. 21-A, of 18.04.1994.

Historical Background and Urbanism

Located in the so-called "lands of the end of the world", the village of Serpa Pinto (now Menongue) was established in the first quarter of the 20th century following the colonial occupation effort, located in the vicinity of Fort Menongue, at the confluence between the Cuebe and Luauca rivers. It experienced significant growth from the 1950s onwards, with the consolidation of the major transport infrastructures, notably the arrival of the railroad from Moçambique to Serpa Pinto, its terminal point, in 1961. insignificant, developed mainly along the axes of regional circulation, the population increase of the 1950s created the need to regulate its urban growth. The first urbanization studies known to the city date back to the 1960s, where much of the city's central fabric (currently Bairro Centro) is defined. Observing the rapid growth of the cluster, an urbanization plan was carried out in 1972, which envisaged the expansion of the central nucleus and the construction of peripheral neighborhoods, as well as road axes for peripheral circulation. Independence came to interrupt the implementation of these instruments, and the old converging structure in Bairro Centro persists today, which now responds to a much wider urban fabric.

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