The Fort São Sebastião of Castro Marim (''Forte de São Sebastão de Castro Marim'' in Portuguese) is located in the village, parish and municipality of

Castro Marim Castro Marim () is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,747, in an area of 300.84 km2. The current Mayor is Francisco Amaral, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The mun ...

, in the District of Faro, in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal: :* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...

. The fort is located to the south of Monte do Castelo, in Serra do Cabeço, where there was originally a hermitage under the invocation of

Saint Sebastian Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocl ...

, demolished during the fortification works.''FORTE DE SÃO SEBASTIÃO''
at jf-castromarim.pt Its importance stems from it being the best preserved example of the extensive process of renovation of the town's defensive system in the mid-17th century. The fort has been classified as a National Monument since 2012.

History

Work on the fort began on April 1641 under the reign of John IV (1640-1656), from 1641 onwards, during the War of Restoration of Portuguese Independence, with the aim of strengthening the defense of this strategic section of the border. It was completed in 1658. Its design aimed to modernize the protection provided by the old medieval castle, transforming the village into the main stronghold of the Algarve at the time.FORTRESS OF SAINT SEBASTIAN
at baixoguadiana.com A new set of walls connecting the fort to the town and medieval castle was later built, during the 17th century. The defensive set was complemented by the

ravelin A ravelin is a triangular fortification or detached outwork, located in front of the innerworks of a fortress (the curtain walls and bastions). Originally called a ''demi-lune'', after the ''lunette'', the ravelin is placed outside a castle ...

''Santo António'' , to the east of the village. Underground magazines and casemates were built between 1819 and 1829 housed the Battalion of Caçadores 4. The gates ''São Sebastião'' and ''Santo António'' and the walls they were built into were demolished in 1877.

Features

The fort has an organic polygon plan (adapted to the terrain), with five bastions, named ''S. Sebastião'', ''Baluarte Cheio'', ''Baluarte das Lezírias'', ''Baluarte da Bandeira''. The main gate faces north, towards the village, communicating with the old castle through a wall and covered entrance. In this way, the integration of the 18th century bastion system with the old walled enclosure of the village can be observed.

Gallery

File:Castro Marim Fort 02.jpg File:Castro Marim fort.JPG File:Castro Marim (Portugal) (15671378746).jpg File:Forte de São Sebastião (3).jpg File:Castro Marim 100 8288 (3832528437).jpg File:Castro Marim 100 8289 (3832529107).jpg File:Castro Marim Castelo R03.jpg File:Forte de São Sebastião à noite.jpg

References

{{Bastion forts in Portugal, state=collapsed Forts in Portugal Castro Marim

History

Features

Gallery

See also

References