The Fortaleza de São Sebastião, also called the Tivim Fort, after the village where a part of the long wall structure was once located, is a fort that spans from the village of Tivim, to the area known as Colvale, in

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

, on the west coast of India. Currently, most of it is in ruins and barely visible. However, parts of the structure are in the process of being restored. It is one in a series of three forts, stretching the length of the Tivim canal – which connects the

Moira River The Moira River is a river in Hastings County in eastern Ontario, Canada. It travels from its source in the centre of the county to the Bay of Quinte at the county seat Belleville . Name Originally named the Sagonaska River by the indigenous peo ...

to the Chapora River. The other forts are Forte de Assumpção and Forte de Meio

History

This fortification was built in 1635 on the orders of the viceroy of the Estado Português da Índia, D. Miguel de Noronha, conde de Linhares. The fortifications were completed in 1681 by the Count of Alvor as a barrier to safeguard the

Bardez ''Bardez'' or ''Bardes'' ( IPA: ) is a ''taluka'' of the North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. Etymology The name is credited to the Saraswat Brahmin immigrants who emigrated to the Konkan via Magadha plains in northern India. B ...

frontier against first the Bahamanis and later the

Maratha The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...

s. The fortifications consisted of a canal with a high wall on its western bank which served as a moat. It also consisted of a series of guard houses at least three of which are still identifiable ruins. In 1683, a failed invasion by the Marathas led by Sambhaji, caused some damage to the building. In 1739, it was again occupied by the Marathas, but for two years until it was recaptured by Luís Carlos Inácio Xavier de Meneses, 1st Marquis of Louriçal. The fortification was garrisoned by Portuguese troops until they were withdrawn in 1841 when they were moved to they nearby town of Mapuça. The fortification gradually lost its strategic importance; it had for a few years been abandoned and neglected. It is now being restored under the auspices of the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology in Goa.

Inscription

On its gates, a Portuguese epigraphic inscription reads:

Protected site

The ruins and site of the fort have been protected by the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu (now the

Government of Goa The Government of Goa is a state government created by the Constitution of India and has executive, legislative and judicial authority of the state of Goa. It is headquartered in Panaji, the capital city of Goa. History The governor's is large ...

) as a historical heritage site since 1983.

Architecture

The fort shows the influence of both Portuguese and Indian architecture. During the short stay of the

Marathas The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

at this fort, they attempted to redesign some parts of the monument based on their architectural style. Though much of the fort is in ruins, its structural importance can still be comprehended. The fortress was primarily built of brick and stone and mud and was a long wall which ran alongside the western bank of a canal. In addition, there were at least three guardhouses which contained forces to guard the area. On the exterior the fort had high walls to stop enemies from crossing into the area, known as

Bardes ''Bardez'' or ''Bardes'' ( IPA: ) is a ''taluka'' of the North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. Etymology The name is credited to the Saraswat Brahmin immigrants who emigrated to the Konkan via Magadha plains in northern India. Ba ...

. It is believed that the interior of the fort once had the

bastions A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...

and cannons of the Portuguese rulers, but since most of the fort is ruined in the present day, very few traces of them remain to be seen.

Chapel of Saint Michael

Nearby stands the Capela de São Michael which is locally called ''fottir'' meaning 'on the fort'. The chapel was founded by the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

in 1591, renovated in 1678 and rebuilt in 1684 after it suffered fire damage during the failed invasion of Marathas forces under the command of Sambhaji.

Bibliography

* Mendes, António Lopes. ''A India portugueza: breve descripção das possessões portuguezas na Ásia''. Asian Educational Services, 1989. . * Archives Archichological http://daa.goa.gov.in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortaleza de Sao Sebastiao Portuguese forts Forts in Goa