Coordinates: 41°48′55.9″N 8°52′4.5″W / 41.815528°N 8.867917°W / 41.815528; -8.867917

Fort of Lagarteira

From WikiProjectMed
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Fort of Lagarteira
Forte da Lagarteira
Viana do Castelo, Alto Minho, Norte in Portugal
One of the barbicans overlooking the coast
Coordinates41°48′55.9″N 8°52′4.5″W / 41.815528°N 8.867917°W / 41.815528; -8.867917
TypeFort
Site information
OwnerPortuguese Republic
OperatorPrivate
Open to
the public		Public
Site history
Built17th century
MaterialsGranite

The Fort of Lagarteira (Portuguese: Forte de Âncora/Forte da Lagarteira) is a medieval fort in the civil parish of Vila Praia de Âncora, municipality of Caminha in the Portuguese Norte, classified as a Property of Public Interest (Imóvel de Interesse Público).

History

The fort was probably constructed between 1640 and 1668, during the Restoration Wars to protect the Portuguese coast from Spanish attacks.[1][2] Its structure followed the models established in the era for the construction of fortresses implanted along the Alto Minho area, which was an advance in military defensive fortifications.[1][2] Engineer Bastos Moreira cites 1690 as the date of its construction, under orders of King D. Pedro II.[1]

On 16 November 1939, the fort was ceded to the Ministério da Marinha (Ministry of the Navy).[1]

Work on the fort by the Direcção dos Serviços de Construção e Conservação (Directorate for Construction and Conservation Services) began in 1955.[1]

On 24 January 1967, by decree the fort was mis-classified as structure in the municipality of Viana do Castelo.[1] Then, on 10 March, the diploma was rectified to correct its effective administrative territory in the municipality of Caminha (47 508; DG, Série I, 59).[1]

Work to improve the stability and consolidate the structure was carried-out in the early 1980s, while the spaces were electrified after 1997 to provide illumination to the site.[1]

Architecture

The fort is located on the right margin of the River Âncora, over a soft cliffside, alongside the port, in an area known as Lagarteira.

Its plan consists of four lateral bastions and accentuated battery, with three of the sides crowned by roof.[1][2] The walls are grounded in the rocky coast, with its extension circled by a curved frame anc crowned by battlement, only interrupted by corner bartizans (crowned by circular roofs over plinths and cannon emplacements along the battery.[1][2] Along the northern bastion is a closed balcony wall (typical of medieval designs) on three canals and with culverts.[1][2] At the centre of the flat facade of the frontispiece is the arched portico surmounted by the coat-of-arms of Portugal and lateral volutes.[1][2]

In the interior, is a small square framed by three constructions covered by rooftile with ramps providing access to adarve and rooftops. The quarter include vaulted ceilings and fireplaces.[1]

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Noé, Paula; Bandeira, Filomena (1998), SIPA (ed.), Forte de Âncora/Forte da Lagarteira (IPA.00004110/PT011602170009) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 19 August 2017
  2. ^ a b c d e f Oliveira, Cataina (2016). IGESPAR (ed.). "Forte de Âncora" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: IGESPAR-Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico. Retrieved 21 August 2018.

Sources

  • Beça, Humberto (1923), Os Castelos de Entre-Douro e Minho (in Portuguese), Famalicão, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Guerra, Luís de Figueiredo (1926), Castelos do Distrito de Viana (in Portuguese), Coimbra, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Ministério das Obras Públicas, ed. (1956), Relatório da Actividade do Ministério no ano de 1955 (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Moreira, Bastos (1984), O Forte da Lagarteira (Âncora) in Jornal do Exército (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Gil, Júlio (1986), Os Mais Belos Castelos e Fortalezas de Portugal (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Moreira, Rafael (1986), Do Rigor Histórico à Urgência prática: a arquitectura militar in História da Arte em Portugal (in Portuguese), vol. 8, Lisbon, Portugal, pp. 67–85{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Almeida, Carlos Alberto Ferreira de (1987), Alto Minho (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Nunez, Estanislao Fernandez de la Cigoña (1987), Teoría e Proyecto sobre les Fortificationes Militares al Norte del Duero (in Spanish), Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal: Gabinete de História e Arqueologia de Vila Nova de Gaia
Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/Fort_of_Lagarteira"