Fort of São João (São Mateus da Calheta)

Fort of São João (Forte de São João)
Fort of the Biscoitinhos
Fort (Forte)
The remains of the ancient Fort of São João/Biscoitinhos that was part of the coastal defenses during the 16th century
Official name: Forte de São João/Forte dos Biscoitinhos
Named for: Saint John

Country	Portugal
Autonomous Region	Azores
Group	Central
Island	Terceira
Municipality	Angra do Heroísmo

Location	São Mateus da Calheta
- elevation	3 m (10 ft)
- coordinates	38°39′15.75″N 27°16′10.12″W / 38.6543750°N 27.2694778°W / 38.6543750; -27.2694778Coordinates: 38°39′15.75″N 27°16′10.12″W / 38.6543750°N 27.2694778°W / 38.6543750; -27.2694778

Length	6 m (20 ft), Southwest-Northeast
Width	3 m (10 ft), Northwest-Southeast

Architects	unknown
Style	Medieval
Material	Basalt

Owner	Portuguese Republic

For public	Public

Management	Instituto Gestão do Patrimonio Arquitectónico e Arqueológico
Operator	Junta de Freguesia de São Mateus da Calheta
Status	Unclassified

Location of the fort within the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo

Fort of São João (Portuguese: Forte de São João), also known as Fort of Biscoitinho (for the lava rock formations along its coastal frontier), is a medieval fort, in the civil parish of São Mateus da Calheta, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, on the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores.

History

Plan of the fort: 1881 drawing from the Tombos dos Fortes da Ilha Terceira

The redoubt was not identified in the early coastal defense plan resulting from the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580, nor in the 1581 defensive map elaborated by Tommaso Benedetto, which was executed by Ciprião de Figueiredo e Vasconcelos, corregador of the Azores.^[1]

Similarly, the project was never elaborated by successive military commanders, including Sergeant-Major João António Júdice (1767), Infantry Captain Francisco Xavier Machado (1771-1772), or activities of Manoel Correa Branco (1776). Plans by José Rodrigo de Almeida, also lack any mention of this platform, during the period leading to the Liberal Wars (1818 to 1820), when Captain-General Francisco António de Araújo e Azevedo reinforced coastal defenses, repair and reconstructing several of the forts in the Azores.

The first reference to this fort, then referred to as Biscoitinhos appeared in the 19th century, and may have mistakenly referred to the Redoubt of Poço, then mentioned by Júdice (1767). More than likely it was confused with the Fort of Açougue (Portuguese: Forte do Açougue) ", and identified by Gaspar Frutuoso at the end of the 16th century.

In the context of the Liberal Wars (1828-1834) the Fort of São João was repaired, leading to the 1862 reference by the Baron of Bastos, who reported that the fort was "a simple barbette with an 18-calibre; it has no lodging or magazine".^[2]

By 1881, however, it had been abandoned and was in ruins.

By the 20th century, the retaining walls of the redoubt were reinforced and consolidated by the parish council of São Mateus.

Architecture

It is situated between the historical Fortress of São Mateus da Calheta and Fort of the Church, with which it cooperated in the defence of the bay of São Mateus, on the southern coast of the island of Terceira.

Technically, it is classified as a land battery, since it is not enclosed fortification, but a semi-circular base. Although originally equipped with one piece of artillery, protected by a barbette, the masonry structure was without any ancillary buildings.

References

Notes

↑ Francisco Ferreira Drummond (1859)
↑ Barão de Bastos (1997), p.272

References

Bastos, Barão de (1997), "Relação dos fortes, Castellos e outros pontos fortificados que devem ser conservados para defeza permanente", Boletim do Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira (in Portuguese) LV, pp. 272–274
Drummond, Francisco Ferreira (1981), Anais da Ilha Terceira (fac-simil. da ed. de 1859) (in Portuguese), Angra do Heroísmo (Azores), Portugal: Secretaria Regional da Educação e Cultura
Faria, Manuel Augusto (14–15 June 1997), "Ilha Terceira – Fortaleza do Atlântico: Forte dos Biscoitinhos", Diário Insular (in Portuguese), Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal
Júdice, João António (1981), Revista dos Fortes da Terceira (ed. facsimile 1883) (in Portuguese) V, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal: Arquivo dos Açores/University of the Azores, pp. 359–363
Machado, Francisco Xavier (1983), Revista dos fortes e redutos da Ilha Terceira - 1772 (in Portuguese), Angra do Heroísmo (Azores), Portugal: Secretaria Regional da Educação e Assuntos Sociais/Gabinete da Zona Classificada de Angra do Heroísmo
Martins, José Salgado (2007), "Património Edificado da Ilha Terceira: o Passado e o Presente", Atlântida (in Portuguese) LII, p. 18
Mota, Valdemar (1993–1994), "Fortificação da Ilha Terceira", Boletim do Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira (in Portuguese), LI-III
Neves, Carlos;; Carvalho, Filipe; Matos, Artur Teodoro de (1992), "Documentação sobre as Fortificações dos Açores existentes nos Arquivos de Lisboa – Catálogo", Boletim do Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira volume=L (in Portuguese)
Pego, Damião Freire de Bettencourt; Almeida Júnior, António Belo de (1996), "Tombos dos Fortes da Ilha Terceira", Boletim do Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira (in Portuguese) LIV, Direcção dos Serviços de Engenharia do Exército
Vieira, Alberto (1987), Boletim do Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira (in Portuguese) XLV (II ed.)

Angra do Heroísmo

Civil parishes	Altares Cinco Ribeiras Doze Ribeiras Feteira Nossa Senhora da Conceição Porto Judeu Posto Santo Raminho Ribeirinha Santa Bárbara Santa Luzia São Bartolomeu de Regatos São Bento São Mateus da Calheta São Pedro Sé Serreta Terra Chã Vila de São Sebastião

Natural Landmarks	Algar do Carvão Bay of Angra Bay of Pontas Bay of Salga Bay of Refugo Furna de Água Galerias da Feteira Gruta Brisa Azul Gruta das Mercês Gruta do Zé Grande Gruta das Cinco Ribeiras Gruta das Agulhas Gruta dos Ratões Cabras Islets Lagoa do Negro Mata da Serreta Monte Brasil Parque de Campismo das Cinco Ribeiras Porto das Cinco Ribeiras Ponta do Queimado Prainha Serra do Morião ou da Nasce Água Serra da Ribeirinha Serra de Santa Bárbara Zona Balnear do Negrito Zona de Protecção Especial do Ilhéu das Cabras

Man-made Landmarks	Bettencourt Palace Cais da Alfândega Cais da Silveira Câmara Municipal de Angra do Heroísmo Castle of Moinhos Cemetery of Anchors Church of São Mateus da Calheta Convent of São Gonçalo Duke of Terceira Garden Fort of Má Ferramenta Fort of Negrito Fort of Santo António do Monte Brasil Fort of São João Fort of the Açougue Fort of the Cavalas Fort of the Church of São Mateus da Calheta Fort of the Maré Forte das Caninas Forte das Cinco Ribeiras Forte da Greta Forte da Salga Forte de Santa Catarina das Mós Forte de Santo António Forte de São Fernando Forte de São Francisco Forte de São Sebastião Forte do Terreiro Forte do Zimbreiro Fort of São João Baptista Fortress of São Mateus da Calheta Redoubt of Dois Paus Redoubt of Três Paus Reducto da Salga Manor of Madre de Deus Miradouro da Amoreira Miradouro do Pico das Cruzinhas Miradouro da Ponta do Queimado Miradouro do Pico Matias Simão Miradouro da Serreta Miradouro das Veredas Parque Arqueológico Subaquático da Baía de Angra do Heroísmo Parque de Campismo das Cinco Ribeiras Parque Municipal do Relvão (Angra do Heroísmo) Porto das Cinco Ribeiras Sé Cathedral of Angra do Heroísmo

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