The Fort of São Teodósio da Ponta do Cavalo is a coastal fort located in a dominant position at the extreme west of the Bay of

Sesimbra Sesimbra () is a municipality of Portugal, in the Setúbal District, lying at the foothills of the ''Serra da Arrábida'', a mountain range between Setúbal and Sesimbra. Due to its particular position at the Setúbal Bay, near the mouth of the Sa ...

in the

Setúbal District The District of Setúbal ( pt, Distrito de Setúbal ) is a district located in the south-west of Portugal. It is named for its capital, the city of Setúbal. Geography It is delimited by Lisbon District and Santarém District on the north, Év ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. It was built between 1648 and 1652.

History

During the period of the

Portuguese Restoration War The Portuguese Restoration War ( pt, Guerra da Restauração) was the war between History of Portugal (1640–1777), Portugal and Habsburg Spain, Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon (1668), ...

(1640-68), King John IV undertook a project to modernize the coastal defences of the country. This included the remodelling of existing fortresses and reinforcing their firepower, together with the construction of new fortresses located in strategic positions. The Fort of São Teodósio was part of the defensive line of the stretch of coast, known today as the ''Costa Azul'' (Blue Coast), stretching from

Albarquel Albarquel Beach (Praia de Albarquel) is a beach located in Setúbal, Portugal 48km north of Lisbon. The beach is on a bay overlooking the Tróia Peninsula and the city. The area is suitable for swimming, boating, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. In ...

to Sesimbra, which was designed to assist with the defence of the important maritime settlement of

Setúbal Setúbal (, , ; cel-x-proto, Caetobrix) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies within the Lisbon metropolitan area. In the ti ...

. The fort was named in honour of the Crown Prince, Dom

Teodósio, Prince of Brazil Don Teodósio, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (''Teodósio de Bragança''; ; 8 February 1634 – 15 May 1653) was the heir apparent son of John IV of Portugal (first king of the House of Braganza) and his wife Luisa de Guzmán. In 1645, ...

. It was executed by the military engineer Sebastião Pereira de Frias. Built in the

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...

style from stone and brick, it has an irregular polygonal plan, with two square bastions and a circular tower in the centre. The fortification was badly damaged by the earthquake in 1755 but never lost its strategic importance. In the 19th century it was garrisoned at the time of 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 ...

, during the first French invasion led by General Junot (1807-08). Abandoned by troops in 1822, it was again used during the

Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War (), the War of the Two Brothers () or Miguelite War (), was a war between liberal constitutionalists and conservative absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 18 ...

(1828-34), but fell into disrepair thereafter. In 1895 a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

was installed inside the fort. In the twentieth century, the original layout of the fort was altered to accommodate construction of a harbour and its access road. It is now occupied by the Portuguese Navy, which is also responsible for managing the lighthouse. Visits are not possible.

References

{{Bastion forts in Portugal, state=collapsed São Teodósio da Ponta do Cavalo Buildings and structures in Setúbal District Coastal fortifications in Portugal