Forte Duque de Bragança is a ruined fort located on the islet
Ilhéu de Sal Rei
Ilhéu de Sal Rei is an uninhabited islet near the coast of Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde. It is located southwest of the island capital Sal Rei. Its area is Boa Vista,
Cape Verde
Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...
. The fort was named after the Duke of Bragança. The fort overlooks a stretch of coast where the anchorage required defending from piracy and coastal raiding, which were common in the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
at the time. The island produced salt, which attracted international trade and wealth. It was sacked in 1815 and 1817; this led to the construction of a fort in 1818.Património Arquitetónico /ref> Today in ruins, the fort has been partly excavated archaeologically by the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
.
See also
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Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...