Montedor Fort
Portuguese Civil War
The Montedor Fort (Forte de Montedor in Portuguese), also referred to as Montedor Fortlet (Fortim de Montedor in Portuguese) or Paçô Fort (Forte de Paçô in Portuguese), is located on Paçô beach, in the parish of Carreço, municipality of Viana do Castelo, in Portugal.[1]
It is classified as a Property of Public Interest by Decree No. 47,508, published in DG No. 20, of 24 January 1967.[1][2]
History
With the end of the War of Restoration (1640-1668), it was one of three similar forts built along the coast between Caminha and Viana do Castelo with the aim of strengthening the defense of the Atlantic coast of Alto Minho, vulnerable to possible attacks by pirates or the Spanish navy, the others being the Fort of Cão in Gelfa and Lagarteira Fort in Vila Praia de Âncora.[1] These were added to the Ínsua Fort, built during that conflict to defend the mouth of the Minho River.[1]
At the time, existing fortifications such as the Valença fortress, the Castle of Vila Nova de Cerveira and the fort Santiago da Barra were renovated. To complement the defense of the left (south) bank of the Minho River, the Fort São Francisco de Lovelhe was built in Vila Nova de Cerveira.
It was deactivated in 1716.[1]
In 1984, the property was handed to the Regional Tourism Board (since extinct), when it was considered for tourist and cultural use.[1] In 1995, a project was prepared, by the architect Luís Teles, to adapt the fort to a restaurant, later replaced by another project, by the same architect, for the installation of an interpretation and support center for environmental routes.[1]
In 2004 the property underwent conservation and restoration intervention.
Features
A bastioned coastal fort, of small dimensions and simple design, it has a star-shaped plan in the Mannerist style, consisting of four unequal bastions.[1] The side facing the sea is curved, the opposite side being concave.[1] In the latter, the gate-of-arms is a perfect arch. In its interior are the service quarters, besides a corridor in the center of the fort that serves as a courtyard.[1]
It's similar to the forts of Areosa and Cão, whose plan constituted, at the time, an advance in the system for coastal watch and defense.[1] It is believed that this set of coastal forts may have been designed by the architect Manuel Pinto Villa Lobos.
Gallery
- South-east bastion
- Land side
- North view
- Seaside bastion
- Gate
- Aerial view
External links
- FORTE DO PAÇÔ (SEC. XVII) at geoparquelitoralviana.pt
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Fortim de Montedor / Forte Paçô at monumentos.gov.pt
- ^ Praia de Paçô at cm-viana-castelo.pt
- v
- t
- e
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Fortress_of_Almeida.jpg/170px-Fortress_of_Almeida.jpg)
Branco
- Forte de Ponte de Alvito
- Fortress of Buarcos
- Santa Catarina
- Palheiros Fort
- Estremoz
- Juromenha
- Santo António da Piedade
- Fort of Mourão
- São Luís
- Fort of Arrifana
- Santa Catarina
- São João do Arade
- Nossa Senhora da Encarnação
- Nossa Senhora da Luz
- Nossa Senhora da Penha de França
- Cavaleiros de Santiago
- São Sebastião de Castro Marim
- Fort of Sagres
- Nossa Senhora da Guia
- São Roque
- São Vicente
- Santo António de Tavira
- São João da Barra
- Vera Cruz
- Burgau Fort
- Santo António de Belixe
- Nossa Senhora da Rocha
- São Francisco
- Nossa Senhora da Consolação
- São João Baptista das Berlengas
- São Miguel Arcanjo
- São Vicente
- Bom Sucesso
- Santo António da Barra
- São Lourenço do Bugio
- Nossa Senhora da Luz
- Fort of Guincho
- Nossa Senhora da Guia
- Santa Susana
- São João das Maias
- São Bruno
- Nossa Senhora de Porto Salvo
- São Pedro de Milreu
- Nossa Senhora dos Anjos
- Nossa Senhora das Mercês
- Fort of Sacavém
- São Jorge
- São Julião da Barra
- São Pedro do Estoril
- São Teodósio
- Santa Marta
- Santo Amaro
- Nossa Senhora da Natividade
- Santa Apolónia
- São Brás de Sanxete
- Fort of Cresmina
Lines of Torres Vedras | |
---|---|
Campo Entrincheirado |
Castelo
- Areosa Fort
- Fort of Cão
- Nossa Senhora da Ínsua
- Fort of Lagarteira
- Montedor Fort
- Monção
- Santiago da Barra
- São Francisco de Lovelhe
- Valença
- Fort of the Açougue (Terceira)
- Fort of the Cavalas (Terceira)
- Fort of the Church of São Mateus da Calheta (Terceira)
- Fort of Cinco Ribeiras (Terceira)
- Espírito Santo (Terceira)
- Fort of the Caninas (Terceira)
- Nossa Senhora da Guia (Faial)
- Fort of Greta (Terceira)
- Fort of Má Ferramenta (Terceira)
- Fort of the Maré (Terceira)
- Military Battery of Espalamaca (Faial)
- Fort of Negrito (Terceira)
- Dois Paus redoubt (Terceira)
- São João Baptista (Terceira)
- Reducto da Salga (Terceira)
- Três Paus redoubt (Terceira)
- Forte da Salga (Terceira)
- Santa Catarina das Mós (Terceira)
- Santa Cruz (Faial)
- Santo António (Terceira)
- Santo António do Monte Brasil (Terceira)
- São Brás (Santa Maria)
- São Fernando (Terceira)
- São Francisco (Terceira)
- São João (Terceira)
- São João Baptista (Santa Maria)
- São Mateus da Calheta (Terceira)
- São Sebastião (Terceira)
- Forte do Terreiro (Terceira)
- Zimbreiro Fort (Terceira)
- São João Baptista (Pico)
- Nossa Senhora do Amparo (Madeira)
- São José (Porto Santo)
- São Lourenço (Madeira)
- São Tiago (Madeira)