In 1555, French Admiral Nicolau Durand de Villegaigon assembled two howitzers on the small promontory on the right side of the entrance of Rio de Janeiro's border, eventually controlling the channel and reaching with fire Copacabana, Laje, São João and Imbuí Fortifications. It was completed. The fortification that was denominated in 1567 by General Governor Mem de Sá and changed to the category of Battery in the same year by Salvador de Sá, who named it "Bateria de Nossa Senhora da Guia". In 1599, the entry of the Hollandish courser Oliver Van Noorth in Guanabara Bay is avoided from the fortification.

In 1612, then with twenty howitzers, its name is changed to Santa Cruz da Barra Fortress, with its regiment approved on January 24 of 1613 by the city's Governor D. Álvaro Silveira e Albuquerque, who was responsible for determining the construction of five prison cells in the rock - 2 meters high and 60 cm wide - for political prisoners. During the entire 18th century until early 19th the fortress is in a complete and permanent war condition.

In December of 1831 it starts being used as a political prison, with torture chamber and hanging court. This situation continues until 1911, and the fortress returns to be used as Army prison in 1968.

In the 19th century, 60's decade, facilities are extended: Two categories of casemates (20 on the first floor and 21 on the second floor) and one battery with higher caliber cannons are built, walls are raised, the reconstruction of powder magazine is completed, and beside the big powder magazine a room with more than 200 m² is built with its ceiling made out of manually sliced domed granite stones and tied together with whale oil, lime and pulverized shellfish. In 1882, the Fortress comprises an infirmary, pharmacy and Carbon gas lighting.

In this occasion, the fortress headquartered the 1st Foot Artillery Battalion, created on November 18th of 1879. On August 1st of 1917 the 1st Coast Artillery Group is created. On July 5th of 1922, the Artillery bombards Copacabana Fortification, and on November 4th of 1924 responds to the attack from São Paulo battleship, which however is able to go through the border. The last shooting made by Santa Cruz Fortress' troops was a warning shot against cruiser Tamandaré in 1955.

The imposing and grand architectonic complex of Santa Cruz Fortress gives the observer a shocking impact and an appeasing beauty. Prison cells, recollecting the torture chambers, invincible grids that face the old hanging secured by an internal watchtower, the fusillade marks on the wall, all refer to remote times and even more recent ones that must be documented not to happen again; colonial style Santa Bárbara Chapel, the view of the sea and the sky in a eternal encounter as well as the presence of manpower in a construction daring nature - all elements representing the hope that the Fortress will forever be only: A historic document of human capabilities, a place where it is possible to reverence the encounter between cultural, artistic and handicraft production and the natural world.