The Fort of Greta (also referred to as the ''Castelo da Greta'', ''Forte da Guia'' or Forte da Nossa Senhora da Guia da Horta, respectively: Castle of Greta, Fort of Greta or Fort of Our Lady of the Guide) is a medieval fortification, whose remnants are located on the cinder cone of Monte da Guia, along the southern coast of the civil parish of

Angústias Angústias is one of the three ''freguesia'' ("civil parish") that comprise the urban area of the city of Horta, on the island of Faial in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. This is an economically active, densely populated area. The popul ...

, in

Horta Horta may refer to: People * Horta (surname), a list of people Places * Horta, Africa, an ancient city and former bishopric in Africa Proconsularis, now in Tunisia and a Latin Catholic titular see * Horta, Azores, Portugal, a municipality an ...

, island of Faial, in the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

History

Its construction was initiated in 1666, to complement the coastal defenses of the city of Horta, which at the time, was always under the threat of marauding pirates and privateers, as well as British, French and Spanish forces.Luís Daniel & Natacha Soares (2003), p.79 It worked in conjunction with a similar fortification in the area of Areia Larga, on the island of

Pico Pico may refer to: Places The Moon * Mons Pico, a lunar mountain in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium basin Portugal * Pico, a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Verde * Pico da Pedra, a civil parish in the municipality of Ribeir ...

across the channel from Faial. In the 20th century, with the opening of a roadway on Monte da Guia, parts of the fortification were demolished, in order to allow accessibility to the hermitage and communications equipment on its peak. The remains of the fort are actually in ruins: all but the original wall stone remains. In the 1950s, within the walls of the

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 ...

, the Portuguese government constructed a pair of elevated platforms in order to install maritime radar lookouts. The two-stage platforms occupy the interior courtyard of the redoubt. The space was integrated into the ''Protected Landscape of Monte da Guia'' ( pt, Paisagem Protegida do Monte da Guia under regional decree 1/80/A, on 31 January 1980. It is classified as a property of public interest ( pt, Imóvel de Interesse Público) under the regional legislation on patrimony and culture, 13/84/A (31 March 1984) and under paragraph 4, of article 58, of the Regional Decree 29/2004/A (24 August 1984).

Architecture

Erected on the eastern flank of the Monte da Guia, in a dominant position over the Bay of Horta, and integrated into the medieval defensive system against pirates in the channel. It was built from masonry stone and volcanic rock: its most obvious extent is visible in the dozen canon battlements that face the island of Pico. The design follows the irregular polygon-design of most forts, although many of the structures have been subsumed by erosion, debris and re-purposing by successive administrations. Much of the defensive plan has been superseded by early 20th century constructs, such as the double-platform radar observation towers and small buildings used to shelter military officers.

References

;Notes ;Sources * * * * * * * {{cite book, editor-first=Luís, editor-last=Daniel, editor2-first=Natacha, editor2-last=Soares, title =Faial, Açores: Guia do Património Cultural, trans-title=Faial, Azores: Guide to the Cultural Heritage, publisher = Atlantic View - Actividades Turísticos, Lda., location=Horta (Azores), Portugal, year = 2003, language=Portuguese

Greta Greta may refer to: *Greta (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name Places * Greta Bridge, village in County Durham, England * Greta, New South Wales, town in Australia ** Greta railway station ** Greta Army Camp, form ...

Buildings and structures in Horta, Azores