Fort of Pessegueiro

Fort of Pessegueiro (Forte do Pessegueiro)
Fort of Nossa Senhora da Queimada, Fort of Pessegueiro Beach
Fort (Forte)
A view of the large bastions of the fort from the main beach
Official name: Forte de Nossa Senhora da Queimada do Pessegueiro/ Forte da Praia do Pessegueiro/Forte do Pessegueiro
Name origin: Beach of Pessegueiro
Country  Portugal
Region Alentejo
Subregion Alentejo Litoral
District Setúbal
Municipality Sines
Location Porto Covo
 - coordinates PT 37°49′42.3″N 8°47′27.4″W / 37.828417°N 8.790944°W / 37.828417; -8.790944Coordinates: PT 37°49′42.3″N 8°47′27.4″W / 37.828417°N 8.790944°W / 37.828417; -8.790944
Length 47.5 m (156 ft), Northwest-Southeast
Width 51.5 m (169 ft), West-East
Architects Filipe Terzi, Alexandre Massay
Style Mannerist
Materials Masonry, Stonework
Origin 1588
 - Initiated 1590
Owner Portuguese Republic
For public Public
Visitation Interior access restricted
Easiest access Along southern coast in Porto Covo
Management Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico
Status Property of Public Interest
Listing Decree 41/191; DG, Série-1, 162 (18 July 1957); Decree 735/74; DG, Série-1, 297 (21 December 1974)
Wikimedia Commons: Forte do Pessegueiro

The Fort of Pessegueiro (Portuguese: Forte do Pessegueiro) is a fort situated along the coast of the civil parish of Porto Covo, municipality of Sines, in the southern Alentejo of Portugal, across from the island of the same name.

History

View of the fort from the beach
The island of Pessegueiro on which is situated the fort's twin, the Fort of Santo Alberto

In 1588, Filipe Terzi initiated the construction of the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Queimada, part of a project that also included the construction of an artificial port that could link to the island of Pessegueiro, then approved by cardinal Alberto, the Vice-Regal representative.[1][2] Alexandre Massay substituted Terzi in 1590, at the time when construction had begun on the Fort of Santo Alberto, on the island of Pessegueiro (a project which was originally developed two years previous).[1][2]

The public works were interrupted in 1598, when Massay was transferred to Vila Nova de Milfontes, where he began the construction of the defensive fort along the sandbar of Rio Mira.[1][2] The project was restarted five years later.[1]

Between 1661 and 1690 the fort went through phases of construction and long pauses, before it was eventually completed, during the reign of King Peter II, while its opposite, the Fort of Santo Alberto continued incomplete (along with the artificial port).[1]

In 1755, the famous Lisbon earthquake resulted in damage to the chapel and batteries situated over the casemates.[1][2] Completed by the end of the 17th century, the final layout was far rectangular and simplified then the original Mannerist project, suggesting (to some authors) that the later design was later the authored of Captain João Rodrigues Mouro.[2][3]

Even after the 1755 destruction, between 1877 and 1942, the fort continued to service a public good, being occupied by a contingent of the Fiscal Guard.[1][2]

Following its abandon, there was a project developed to convert the fort into a hostel (in 1962), but that was never approved or initiated.[1]

On 18 July 1957, a decree classified the Fort of Pessegueiro, including the island of the same name, as national heritage; a 21 December 1974 dispatch also decreed and clarified this classification.[1]

There were repairs undertaken between 1983 and 1985 by the Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN), that included the exterior parapets of the left bastion and central zone (the former port entrance).[1] Reconstruction of the ruined zones or areas in risk of damage along the exterior walls were also attempted at the time.[1]

Panaromic view of the fort and Pessegueiro beach, with cliffs

Architecture

The fort is situated along the maritime coast, dominating the beach fronting the Fort of Santo Alberto, on the island of Pessegueiro.[1]

The fort consists of a star-like polygon, with two triangular bastions oriented toward land and poligonal battery towards the beach.[1] The group is encircled by relatively low walls.[1][2] The interior of the fort consists of a "U"-shaped plan, covered in terraces. The thick walls align along the slope, constructed from masonry, with stone wedges, topped by semi-circular railing above the surrounding torus. There area traces of circular bartizan in the middle of the wall facing the sea.[1] A main gate is situated in the middle of the land-side, accessed by wooden bridge that cross a moat.[1]

There are vaulted casemates and bunkers with chimneys within the walls. On the extreme north arm of the fort is the Hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Queimada, with vaulted ceiling.[1]

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Mendonça, Isabel (1992), SIPA, ed., Forte do Pessegueiro (IPA.00004092/PT041513020003) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA –Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 7 February 2016
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Oliveira, Catarina (2011), IGESPAR, ed., Forte do Pessegueiro, incluindo a ilha do mesmo nome, abrangendo o Forte da Ilha de Dentro (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: IGESPAR - Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico, retrieved 7 February 2016
  3. ↑ Augusto Cabrita & Julio Gil (1986), p.283

Sources

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