The Fort of Feira, also known as the Fort of Malveira, is located at an altitude of 226 metres, above the town of Malveira, in the municipality of

Mafra Mafra is a Czech media group that publishes printed and internet media, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. It is a subsidiary of Agrofert holding conglomerate owned by trust of Andrej Babiš, the former Prime Minister of the Czech Repu ...

, in

Lisbon District Lisbon District ( pt, Distrito de Lisboa, ) is a district located along the western coast of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Lisbon, which is also the national capital. From its creation until 1926, it included the area of the cur ...

, Portugal. It was built in 1809-10 as part of the

Lines of Torres Vedras The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts and other military defences built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, ...

, three lines of forts and

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

s designed to protect

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

against French troops. The fort was reopened to the public in 2011.

History

In 1807, during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

(1807-14), France and Spain signed the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau foreseeing the invasion and subsequent division of Portuguese territory into three kingdoms. In the same year French troops commanded by

General Junot Jean-Andoche Junot, 1st Duke of Abrantes (24 September 1771 – 29 July 1813) was a French military officer during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Biography Early life Junot was born in Bussy-le-Grand, Côte-d'Or, son ...

entered Portugal. Portugal called for support from England while, at the same time, the Portuguese royal family left the country for Brazil. In 1808, Portuguese and British troops commanded by the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

defeated the French in the Battles of Roliça and

Vimeiro Vimeiro () is a freguesia (civil parish) in the municipality of Lourinhã in west-central Portugal. It is in the District of Lisboa. The population in 2011 was 1,470,Convention of Cintra The Convention of Cintra (or Sintra) was an agreement signed on 30 August 1808, during the Peninsular War. By the agreement, the defeated French were allowed to evacuate their troops from Portugal without further conflict. The Convention was sig ...

, which led to the evacuation of the French army from Portugal. A second invasion by French troops in 1809, commanded by

Marshal Soult Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Frenc ...

was forced to retreat. Wellington then decided to construct lines of defence for Lisbon, in order to defend against any further invasion and also to protect his own retreat and possible evacuation if overwhelmed by French forces. The Fort of Feira was constructed as part of the second line of the Lines of Torres Vedras. A third French invasion, headed by Marshal

André Masséna André Masséna, Prince of Essling, Duke of Rivoli (born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817) was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.Donald D. Horward, ed., trans, annotated, The Fre ...

advanced to the Lines of Torres Vedras but could not pass them and after five months was forced to retreat. FortFeiraMoat

The name “Feira” (Fair) was derived from the cattle market held next to the fort’s site. Occupying a dominant position, the Fort of Feira was at the centre of a complex of 19 strongholds in the second Line of Torres Vedras. It took the form of a seven-pointed star, with a surrounding moat dug into the rock and filled with

palisade A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a fence or defensive wall made from iron or wooden stakes, or tree trunks, and used as a defensive structure or enclosure. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymology ''Palisade' ...

s. Its position permitted

crossfire A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I. ...

with three of the other forts. An 1829 report stated that the garrison would have been 350 soldiers and the fort would have had four cannon. The fort was deactivated in 1818 and the artillery was removed. Initial restoration was carried out at the beginning of this Millennium and it was opened to the public in 2002. In 2010-11 it was closed to permit archaeological investigations that exposed structures such as the

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

, being reopened in July 2011.

References

{{stack, {{Portal, Portugal Feira National monuments in Lisbon District Lines of Torres Vedras

External links

Friends of the Lines of Torres Vedras

History

See also

References

External links