Country
Portugal
City / Region
Vila do Bispo / Faro
Construction Date
Ordered to be built during the reign of D. João IV (1640-1656). Its construction in this period places it directly within the defensive effort of the Restoration War, highlighting the strategic importance attributed to the Algarve coast in this context, beyond the land borders or the capital.
Conservation status
It is very distorted due to its state of ruin and improper occupation in recent years. However, the general features of its structure are still distinguishable. It does not have a heritage classification indicated in the consulted sources.
Latitude and Longitude
37°04'19"N 8°46'21"W
Main characteristics
It has a rectangular plan with a battery facing the sea. In the center of the parade ground, it had a strong house covered by a barrel vault, topped by a terrace. This characteristic represents an interesting integration of an element of regional architecture (the Algarve strong house with vault and terrace) into 17th-century military architecture models, suggesting an adaptation of fortification patterns to local construction traditions, resulting in a hybrid architecture, possibly due to resource constraints, labor, or flexibility in design.
Source(s)
ALMEIDA, João de. Roteiro dos Monumentos Militares Portugueses. Lisboa: [s.n.], 1948. v. 3.
COUTINHO, Valdemar. Castelos, fortalezas e torres da região do Algarve. Faro: Algarve em Foco Editora, 1997.
MAGALHÃES, Natércia. "Fortificações da costa Sudoeste". Setúbal Arqueológica, Setúbal, v. 11-12, p. 301-313, 1996/1997.
NUNES, João António Serranito. Algarve - Castelos, Cercas e Fortalezas. Faro: Direção Regional de Cultura do Algarve, 2008.