Map of the Naval Base at Callao, Lima

In October 1801 the Spanish navigator and cartographer José de Moraleda produced this map of the naval base at Callao in Lima, showing the location of the lookout towers built on the coast to monitor the sea. They were built by the first General Commander of the Maritime Department of Callao, Tomás de Ugarte, to protect the anchorages so that any ships berthed there could not be taken by surprise.

Francisco Pizarro founded Lima in 1535 because of its proximity to the magnificent bay of Callao, long-used by native fishermen. A town soon developed, becoming a garrison with 5 companies in the late 16th century. The Real Felipe fortress was built between 1747 and 1774, and during the 1780s the smaller fortresses of San Rafael and San Miguel were built to defend the city on either side, and extend the naval base's defenses. The naval infantry stationed in Callao came under the command of the oldest commander there until 1799, when the Maritime Department of Callao was established. Its jurisdiction covered the area between Veraguas and Cape Horn, with Brigadier Tomás Ugarte y Liaño appointed as its first General Commander. The last person to hold this post was Brigadier Antonio Vacaro, who had to cede his authority to the leaders of the independence movement.