Fort of São Sebastião de Caparica

Forte de São Sebastião da Caparica (Fort São Sebastião da Caparica) also known as Torre de São Sebastião da Caparica, Torre Velha and Fortaleza da Torre Velha (literally the Old Tower Fortress) is a fortress located in Monte da Caparica in Caparica, city of Almada, Portugal.

The Torre Velha da Caparica was one of the most famous examples of military architecture. In the Renaissance period, it was one of the first systems of artillery integrated into a defense station of rio Tejo, mainly between Torre de Santo António de Cascais and Torre de São Vicente de Belém.

History

The fortification was located in the main strait point of the Tejo, in its left bank, remounted into a battalion for the decision of John I (1385-1433).

In the beginning of the 15th century, during the beginning of the Portuguese age of discovery, its defense over the Tejo and the port of Lisbon was based with a naval artillery, situated between the river waters. Frontly under King John II (1481-1495), a new plan was added for the port's protection based within the three towers, they were adapted into those artillery of the era:

• Right Bank:
  • Torre de Santo António de Cascais (Baluarte de Cascais);
  • Torre de São Vicente de Belém (Baluarte de São Vicente a par de Belém)

Theses fortifications cooperated with the naval artillery which it patrolled the river with vigilant tariffs and defense of the country's capital.

Baluarte da Caparica

The original structure, second founded by Garcia de Resende was made up of a tower and a defense, that in which it was built, a few years later, the Baluarte de Cascais was added in 1498 along with two other, one in 1502 and another in 1515.

In 1570, with its cast which accounted several separate forts within the Portuguese coasts, King Sebastian (1568-1570) modified its old tower turned into a fort with great dimensions. It was designated as Fortaleza de São Sebastião da Caparica. Its work progressed under the Philippine Dynasty and made its project suffered an altered structure. This phase was known as the Torre dos Castelhanos (The Castilian Tower).

In the late 19th century, it fort went into received works, possibly the consolidation directly under the coloner Francisco D'Alincourt.

The Peninsular War

During the Peninsular War in 1801, its fortifications in the south bank of the Tejo were disabled. Meanwhile, the survey of October 1808 said:

• 5 pieces of bronze, 36 calibre
• 4 pieces of calibre 18;
• 9 pieces of calibre 12;
• 5 pieces of iron, 24 calibre;
• 9 pieces of iron, 18 calibre and
• 6 pieces of iron, 6 calibre.
• 6 repairable pieces of artillery, of 35 calibre;
• 9 repairable pieces of company artillery, of 12 calibre;
• 2 marine carts of pieces of 36 calibre;
• 5 marine carts of pieces of 24 calibre;
• 13 marine carts of pieces of 18 calibre;
• 6 marine carts of pieces of 6 calibre;
• 2,400 balls and lanters of 36, 18, 2 and 8 calibre.

In the survey of January 1828, it had:

• 1 piece of iron, 28 calibre;
• 6 pieces of iron, 6 calibre;
• 17 pieces of iron, 13 calibre
• 2 iron mortars, 98 calibre;
• 2,500 balls of diverse calibres and
• 50 bombs 9 calibre

In 1832, it underwent a renovation and military reactivity. It surveyed its data and had:L

• 2 pieces, 26 calibre
• 6 pieces, 24 calibre
• 3 pieces, 18 calibre

• In its latest data, the garrison contained:

• 1 subordinate
• 1 sergeant
• 3 cables
• 31 soldiers

In the late 19th century, it served mainly for the shipping and hiousing. This phase with its dependencies were used with quarantine, mainly for sheltering passengers and crew members on vessels and ported the capital with suspected contagious diseases, for an example Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro which was suspected of yellow fever, he returned to Brazil where he left registered with fine irony in its largest regret which with its regulations on its facilities and the treatment of the internal.

The fortress was classified under the National Monument on April 12, 1996. It is now an abandoned fortress.

Characteristics

The fort conserves some fundamental existences in the mid 13th century with its A estrutura que chegou aos nossos dias conserva as partes fundamentais existentes em meados do século XVII, that it was compated with a plant that dates back to 1692 which collected the Torre do Tombo ( Coleção Casa de Cadaval = The Cadaval House Collection).

The plant of the forfication disappeared into a "u", made up of three bodies and three ramparts with barracks. One of the most extremities lasts out with a ramparts with its guard tower. The central body of Torre Velha featured a quadrangular plant located near the governor's house. Around the old port of the area had a tower mentioned in a rock with arms to arms of Portugal.

Sources

• Here, at Torre Velha, D. Francisco Manuel de Melo wrote "Carta de Guia de Casados" (Casados Map Guide) (Lisbon, 1651).

External links

• Inventário do Património Arquitectónico (DGEMN, Architectural Heritage Inventory) Template:Pt icon
• Instituto Português de Arqueologia (Portuguese Archeological Institute) Template:Pt icon
• Torre de São Sebastião da Caparica atIPPAR) Template:Pt icon