Built in the 16th century to defend the city against pirate attacks, the fortress of Saint Blaise to the west of Ponta Delgada was part of the most important fortifications of São Miguel's defense system, and is today considered the most important example of 16th century military architecture and the most powerful fortress in the world. The island, despite the effects of battles and renovations on it, but its building still impresses all who visit it, and is home to the Azores Military Museum, and on its front wall there is a memorial to the soldiers of the First World War.