O chamado Forte da Prainha localiza-se em uma ponta na extremidade oeste da baía da Praia, no lugar da Prainha, na freguesia da Almagreira, concelho da Vila do Porto, a SSO na ilha de Santa Maria, nos Açores.

Em posição dominante sobre este trecho do litoral, constituiu-se em uma fortificação destinada à defesa deste ancoradouro contra os ataques de piratas e corsários, outrora frequentes nesta região do oceano Atlântico. Cruzava fogos com o Forte de São João Baptista da Praia Formosa.

História

No contexto da Guerra da Sucessão Espanhola (1702-1714) pode ser um dois redutos na baía da Praia sob a designação "O Forte (...), da Praya, e os dous Redutos." na relação "Fortificações nos Açores existentes em 1710".

FIGUEIREDO (1960) assim refere o local e a sua fortificação em 1815: "Logo se segue a Prainha onde fica uma grota e um castello com porto de varar barcos de pesca, aparecem algumas lagostas neste porto." E complementa: "- Dito  na Prainha com duas peças de ferro."

A "Relação" do marechal de campo Barão de Bastos em 1862 informa que se encontra arruinado.

Relativamente preservado pelo seu isolamento, foi ocupado em tempos recentes - possivelmente como vigia à época da Segunda Guerra Mundial, conforme atestam os vestígios de uma estrutura em blocos de cimento no seu terrapleno.

Forte da Prainha

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The Fort of São João Baptista (Portuguese: Forte de São João Baptista/Castelo da Praia) is the ruins of a 16th-century maritime fort situated on the western edge of Praia Formoso, in the civil parish of Almagreira, municipality of Vila do Porto, on the Portuguese island of Santa Maria (in the archipelago of the Azores).

Located in a strategic point along the southern coast, the fort was constructed to defend the anchorage from attacks by pirates and corsairs, that frequented this region of the Atlantic during the Age of Discovery. Contemporary archaeological campaigns during the 20th century attempted to ascertain if this forte constituted one of the oldest in the archipelago, yet this never conclusively validated by documented sources. In fact, the oldest forts in the Azores have been validated in Terceira and São Miguel: Castle of São Cristóvão (1460), in the Alto dos Moinhos, Angra do Heroísmo; the Fort of São Brás (1551) in Ponta Delgada; and the Fort of São Sebastião (1572) over the Porto das Pipas, also in Angra dor Heroísmo.

History

The beach on which the fort was raised was, in 1584, referred to as Plaia Hermosa, based on the Castillian language, owing to Spanish dominion of the region at the time. The same author (Luís Teixeira), later (1587) indicated that this region served within the religious parish of Figueira (Portuguese: Paróquia da Figueira) which, before its construction, included little more than 40 people, in an area called Praia Fremosa.

English privateers (1599) and, later, Algerian Barbary coast pirates (June 1616) used this beachhead in their assaults on the island, the latter resulting in major damage to Vila do Porto.

Apparently, the initial requests were not taken seriously, and the 1616 incursion resulted in the cataclysmic destruction of Vila do Porto. In 1617, a new request was made directly to Philip III of Spain, by the third Donatary-Captain, Pedro Soares de Sousa. The memory of the 1616 catastrophe and these recommendations to the monarch, resulted in initial steps in 1618 to defend "the women and children and herds". The author of the building's construction is unknown, although it is speculated that Sergeant-major Marco de Teive, who visited the archipelago in 1630, may have had a hand in its construction, during his visit to Santa Maria. It is known that following the 1616 tragedy, in 1617 (by royal order) Captain Marcos Fernandes de Teive was sent to the islands to design and initiate construction of new battlements, in addition to reorganizing the militia.

Yet, the work on the fortifications did not progress. In 1624, in order to speed up construction, Philip IV of Spain granted Brás Soares de Sousa (in compensation for his services in North Africa), the Command of the island of Santa Maria (through the Order of Jesus Christ), with the right to his privileges as of 24 June 1623. But, many of the resources were used in Royal Service, and the monarch imposed on Brás Soares de Sousa the obligation to donate, for five years, the land rents of the command towards the fortifications necessary for the island. These lands rents would be safeguarded in a separate coffer and only spent on the construction, by order of the Finance Council. Only after the completion of the public works, would those monies would be once again used for the repairs of churches as needed, as stipulated by Council for Religious Conscience and Orders.

Two decades later (1638) the town hall registered: "A fortification on this island, that was started, but not finished." By the Restoration Wars (1640-1668), due to the difficult circumstances of the civil authorities in Vila do Porto, the Crown provided monetary funds for the defence of Praia Formosa. But, even by 1664, the issue of artillery at the site had not been resolved, even as the King had ordered their installation in 1655. By Royal decree, on 6 August 1683, Vicente Pires Ferreira was placed in the position of constable for castles and redoubts, following the death of his father, overseeing the beach of São João and its fortifications.

The "Relação" by field marshall Baron of Bastos, in 1862, informed the Crown, that the castle : "has a high barracks and a kitchen" and that it was in a state of ruin.

By the end of the 20th century, there still existed two artillery pieces on the abandoned battlements, alongside the ruin structure (which since disappeared). A later periodical indicated: "The Câmara Municipal de Vila do Porto will proceed with the removal of the two, old pieces that exist in the abandoned small castle of Praia. Once they are recuperated, this pieces will be ceded to the Museum of Santo Espírito to be publicly exhibited." Yet, there are no proofs that the pieces finally made it to the museum. In fact, there is speculation that any of those artillery-pieces may have joined the group in the Fort of São Brás in Vila do Porto.

Ferreira (1997) registered the state of ruin of the fort, of what he defined as a 16th-century fort. Technical studies were made at the site, in order to recuperate the structure, by then in an advance stage of degradation and which was not registered for protection or classification.

The grounds of the fort were used as a secondary stage (Palco Oportunidades - DRJ), during the 23rd Annual Festival Maré de Agosto in 2007.

Between 27–28 September 2011, a storm with winds exceeding 85 kilometres per hour (53 mph), heavy rainfall and waves affected the southern coast of the island), resulting in landslides that influenced the ruined structure, alongside the ravine. Consequently, the remaining portions of the structure continued to deteriorate.

Fort of São João Baptista of Praia Formosa

The Fort of São Brás (Portuguese: Forte de São Brás) is a 17th-century maritime fort situated on the southern cliffs of the civil parish of Vila do Porto, municipality of the same name, on the Portuguese island of Santa Maria, in the archipelago of the Azores.

History

Between 1581 and 1582, there were different descriptions of incursions by pirates and privateers to the island of Santa Maria by Gaspar Frutuoso.

Sometime during the 17th century, it was likely that the fort was constructed, at a time when the Captain-major, João Falcão de Sousa, exercised his position as superintendent for the island's defense.  A 1717 report described these defenses as:

The defense of the town, and all the island, it was little before, there was a league of ports that could be entered, and it was three times that the Mouros, English and French; but later they made in the Castle square, a fort with 14 pieces, and in front a fort with some; in front was another fort with a few pieces; in the town, two forts with its artillery; all this was not only under the direction of the Governor and the Donatary-Captain...but immediately an artillery captain with 30 artillerymen, in addition to Captain-major, officers and ordinance men..
In 1815, there is a reference to the fortification by José Carlos de Figueiredo:

Castle of São Brás at the town in the middle of the port had 14 pieces, being the best of the house of the Captain-major Francisco Barbosa de Sousa Coutinho, and those of the Castle are corrupt and little use.

On 28 February 1906, the fort was ceded to the municipal authority by the Secretaria de Guerra (War Secretariate). The walls of the fort were partially destroyed during the night, and its place a balustrade replaced the curtains.

The interior monument was inaugurated on 4 October 1929.

During the 1960s, the fort was reconstructed by municipal council. Completed four years later, the fort was re-inaugurated on 11 December 1966. It was at about this time that the movement to take control of the fort began in 1969; the council was interested in obtaining the right to the building of the old barracks, which was under the control of the Ministério das Finanças (Ministry of Finances), in order to demolish the structure for imperativos de urbanização ("urban imperatives"). The ruined structure was constituted by a two-story building, with an area of 87 square metres (940 sq ft), a small terrace house that was 58 square metres (620 sq ft) and a vaulted magazine in ruins, with 28 square metres (300 sq ft).

The fort was finally ceded to the municipal council in 1970, obliging it to maintain the buildings and the other constructions that existed onsite. on the 30 March 1970, the city solicited the DGEMN to repair the building, since the municipal council did not have the conditions to complete the task. In order to revitalize the space, in 1978, the barracks building was adapted to act as a teahouse, by the Direção dos Serviços dos Monumentos Nacionais. The project envisioned the maintenance of the structure, and resulted in the renovation of the interior, including the fenestrations in order to adapt to the new uses. But, the municipal council eventually ceded the site to the Clube Motard de Santa Maria (Santa Maria Motorcycle Club), following a lease agreement that established a term of 10 years.

Architecture

The fort is situated at the extreme southern edge of the urban escarpment, perpendicular to the coast, from which extends the town, from a dominant position above the valley of São Francisco, creating a lookout. It is located on an escarpment that descends slightly from the northeast, forming a small square on various terraces lined with Portuguese pavement. The western edge is delimited by a small wall with bunks covered in pergola. At the centre of the fort is a monument in granite that pays homage to the crew of the minesweeper Augusto de Castilho. Below the main structure, and complementing this structure, were two, smaller redoubts, known as the Fortins das Areias. Surrounding the main walls are other buildings of architectural importance.

The maritime fort was constructed in the 17th century, and altered according to historical changes, forming a bastion adopted to the morphology and orientation of its base.

It is an irregular trapezoid oriented to the views of the sea, but only conserves a cylindrical bartizan from its period of defense. The structure is decorated with a cordon of merlon parapets and canon emplacements, except on the side oriented to land, where an arched portico is decorated with cornice. To the right of the fort's portico is a stone inscription in relief: FORTE DE / S. BRÁS. The walls oriented to the sea is the most conserved.

Addorsed to the northern wall is the Hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, which is taller than the main structure, while to the right of the entrance is the building for the former-command and barracks. This two-story building is integrated into the structure with a second-story balcony accessible from staircase.

The interior of the fort is lower than the exterior, paved and presenting a portico with various steps to complement the distance. The building used for the command and barracks is square, covered in double tile, with simple edge. The facades are singular or double-story, with the principal facade oriented towards the south.  The two-story building, is plastered and painted in white with granite cornerstones, and a staircase that provides access to the second floor by way of balcony. The second floor includes framed door and window, with the doorway off of centre.  On the main floor are two rectangular, framed doors under the balcony that are aligned with the same window-door combination on the second story. The left lateral facade, oriented towards the port is marked by a window, just over the parapet, while the lateral right is barren. To the rear is a guillotine-style window. The canon emplacements of the fort have nine artillery pieces, over wood bases. The bartizan can be accessed by square opening.