The Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort, officially Conde de Lippe Fort and known historically as La Lippe, is a fort in the village of Alcáçova, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north of the town of Elvas in the Portalegre District of Portugal.

It stands in a dominant position on the Monte da Graça (Hill of Grace) and forms part of the Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications, which on 30 June 2012 was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 2014, the fort became part of a new project under the aegis of the Portuguese Ministry of National Defense, with the support of Turismo de Portugal (Portuguese Tourism), which features historical itineraries based on Portuguese heroes.

History

The strategic importance of the fort was demonstrated during the Portuguese Restoration War, when in 1658 Spanish troops occupied the site during the siege of the town of Elvas prior to the Battle of the Lines of Elvas on 14 January 1659.

A century later, during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) King Joseph I of Portugal and the Marquis of Pombal called on Marshal Lippe to reorganize the Portuguese army and draw up plans for the modernization of the stronghold. He drew a nearly identical copy of his home fortress Wilhelmstein, which he built in 1761.

The work began in 1763 and continued into the reign of Maria I of Portugal (r. 1777–1816), with the fort reopening in 1792 under the name of Conde de Lippe Fort after its designer.

The fort resisted Spanish troops during the 1801 War of the Oranges and a later attack in 1811 during the Peninsular War by the troops of Marshall Jean-de-Dieu Soult.

In September 1808, when the Spanish General Galluzzo heard of the signing of the Convention of Cintra, under which the defeated French were allowed to evacuate their troops from Portugal, he refused to acknowledge it. Instead he proceeded to carry out "a trifling bombardment of La Lippe from an immense distance, and the utmost damage sustained or likely to be sustained by that fortress, was the knocking away the cornices and chimney's of the governor's house, every other part being protected by bomb proofs of the finest masonry." The French commander of the La Lippes's garrison, Captain Girod de Novillars, held out against the Spanish until late November when the 1,200 French troops inside marched out following the arrival of the British.

Subsequently used as a military prison, by 2014 the site was in a near ruinous condition and awaited transfer to the Municipality of Elvas for restoration. The necessary work on the infrastructure was completed in September 2015 with the aim of turning the fort into a functional museum.



Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça

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The Castle of Elvas (Portuguese: Castelo de Elvas) is a medieval military fortification in Portugal, in the civil parish of Alcáçova, municipality of Elvas, part of a first line of defense in the Portuguese Alentejo, in conjunction with the military forts of Ouguela, Campo Maior, Olivença and Juromenha.

History

Between the 8th and 12th century Muslim forces occupied Elvas, resulting in the construction of the fortress. It was briefly conquered by forces loyal to Afonso Henriques around 1166, an action that was repeated in successive years with Moorish capture, and recapture, of the strategic point. In 1200 Sancho I encircled the citadel, and his successor, Sancho II made a tentative attempt to capture Elvas in 1226, at the same time Alfonso IX of León was trying to take Badajoz: although concerted, it was unsuccessful. This was followed in 1228 by another attempt, also unsuccessful, until 1230, after the castle and surrounding territory was abandoned by Muslim forces, who had received word that Alfonso IX had reached and was threatening Mérida.

Kingdom

The year before (1229) Sancho II had issued a foral (charter) for Elvas, which was later reaffirmed by King Afonso III in 1263. As a method of attracting further Iberian investments the concession of a fair, in 1262, helped to attract settlement to the region. This, along with further investments from the Crown resulted in the reconstruction of the castle and walled village between the 13th and 14th century, with the cerca Fernandina (walls of King Ferdinand), still under the reign of Afonso IV, that included 22 towers and 11 gates (including the important Gate of Olivença or Royal Gate).

Elvas was under siege from 1325 to 1327 from the forces of Alfonso XI of Castile, due to the continuing war during the reign of Afonso IV. This would continue for several years, first with a two-day siege in 1334; in 1337; and then in 1381, by Infante John of Portugal (son of King Peter I of Portugal and Inês de Castro) supported by Castillian forces, during the third protracted wars with Castile, during the reign of King Ferdinand (1381-1383). It was also besieged in 1385, by John II of Castille, during the Restoration Wars (1384-1387).

Following these battles, between 1488 and 1490, the castle underwent reconstruction, with alterations complete to the hexagonal tower, as well as the construction of a keep tower that was much taller and able to support artillery emplacements. Sometime during this period the alcalde's quarters were also renovated, while repairs to the walls and three towers were carried out in intervening years, following acts by Afonso Mendes de Oliveira. In this period, the town had four internal and four external gates, all without doors.

On 3 March 1507 King Manuel I confirmed the foral, already established by Afonso III. Four years later he ordered the construct of several towers along the walls and the repair of two that had already suffered damage. These acts preceded the elevation of Elvas to the status of city (Portuguese: cidade), which he did on 21 April 1513 with the promulgation of a new foral.

The settlement was also elevated to the status of bishopric in 1570.

In 1580, Elvas was occupied, without combat, by D. Sancho de Ávila.

Between 1601 and 1602, under the direction of Luís Serrão Pimentel, the walls were repaired, owing to several years of neglect.

Restoration wars

In 1641, under the administration of the Governor Matias de Albuquerque, significant repairs were begun on the castle and fortress. This completed through contributions from people of the town, equivalent to two réis, and resulted in the expansion of trenches, reinforcement of the barbicans and the opening-up of a gap for expansion. This was accomplished through the demolish of various homes near the castle to permit the war effort: in 1644, the Marquess of Torrescusa had already proven the need to reinforce Elvas, with his siege of the castle.

This was the beginning of the period of construction that resulted in the bulwarked Praça de Elvas that was completed in 1653, creating a military square and defensive ring. By the middle of this project, records document the nomination, in 1646, of Pedro Fernandes, quartermaster of the Sé of Elvas, and an accomplished expert in fortifications, to assist João Cosmander in the work on the walls.

Between 1658 and 1659, Elvas was encircled by the forces of Luis Méndez de Haro, and the castle's defenders resisted the Spanish bombardment of the town, although many died due to the Black death. This was ultimately a precursor to the 14 January 1659 Battle of the Lines of Elvas, that pitted the Haro's forces against the cobbled-together forces of António Luís de Meneses, 1st Marquis of Marialva, 3rd Count of Cantanhede.

By 1662, the walls and the city's defenses were still being rebuilt, under Luís Serrão Pimentel.

War of Spanish Succession

After Portugal joined the forces of the Grand Alliance during the War of Spanish Succession, with the Methuen Treaty, it became vulnerable from attacks from Spain. In 1706, Elvas fell under siege from a Franco-Spanish force, and yet again in 1712, when the Marquess of Bay and his forces attempted to seize the castle.

These events led to the post-war construction of a gunpowder magazine in 1735, under the direction and plans of Manuel de Azevedo Fortes.

Peninsular wars

With the intervention of French forces during the Peninsular wars Elvas, once again took on the frontlines of the battle between Spain and Portugal. Supported by French forces of Manuel de Godoy, during the campaign known as the Guerra das Laranjas (War of the Oranges), Elvas was attacked by Spanish forces in 1801 however, Godoy was unable to siege the fortress due to insufficient troops and supplies.

During fighting involved with the French campaign, Elvas was taken in 1807 by the French. The following year an Anglo-Portuguese force laid siege to Elvas, prior to the expulsion of French forces, in order to expel the French garrisoned in the castle.

In 1815, one of the towers was demolished in order to protect a warehouse that was located near the wall.

In 1823, battery emplacements were affixed to the northern and northwest towers, that included lowering of emplacements, but also the construction of barbettes.

20th century

Between 1940 and 1948, a large intervention was made on the site, that altered many of the spaces. During these renovations, an azulejo tile depicting the Sagrada Família, on the castle gate, was removed.

On 1 June 1992, the property was placed under the management of the IPPAR, under Decree 106F/92.

Architecture

The castle is found in an isolated urban context, on an elevated zone known as the Costa da Vila Fria, with many of the towers and walls extending over the landscape.

The plan of the castle is an irregular quadrilateral polygon, defined by four walls, flanked by towers in the south, west and north. The Porta da Vila (Town Gate), in the southwest, is surmounted by a capstone with the coat-of-arms of King John II of Portugal, and opened to the courtyard where there are several older buildings.

To the south is a cistern, alongside the northeast part of the fortification's wall, with spaces for the alcalde located in a two-storey structure.

Access to the battlements are made from a staircase on the northwestern wall, defended by three simple embrasures and through a doorway with broken bow (that also provides access to the Porta da Traição (Traitor's Gate). The northwestern battlements provide access to the keep tower, a rectangular structure, flanking the western angle. A Roman arched gate provides entry into the towers principal hall, with four arrowslits and a vaulted ceiling with rounded cross-beams, formed from the four corner posts. From two flights of stairs is the next floor, just before the rooftop, with tiled roof. The southwest battlements provide access to the tower alongside the town gate, with a staircase to the roof. The extreme part of the battlements provide access to the rooftop artillery point, a nine-sided position, which flanks the southern angle of the fortification. This emplacement provides two levels of gun fire, with 12 arrowslits, although the top group is covered by the posterior-constructed vaulted, semi-spherical ceiling. The southeastern battlements links to the northeast wall, interrupted by the masonry of the alcalde's residence. On the outside of this wall, a support structure, that presupposes a terrace for the residence is visible. To the extreme of the wall is circular construction, with semi-spherical cupola, protecting the entrance to a circular staircase providing access to the exterior.

Flanked along the northern extent, an almost square tower with plain parapet and running bunk in masonry. Toward the keep tower, on the left is a suspended cistern and to the right a rectangular tower, with plain parapet. All the battlements in the castle are wide.

The two-storey alcalde's residence is entered from the main floor porch, across a Roman archway. The posterior facade includes two second-floor windows, one with a truncated angular arch, while the other with a canopy-like arch. The porch includes a vaulted ceiling with spines focused on a five-pointed star. A Roman arch entrance-way leads into ample hall, with vaulted ceiling consisting of six beams and seven arches anchored by pillars. A marble exterior staircase, consisting of two flights lead to a porch decorated with eight rectangular pillars. From here two doors, with square frames, provide access to halls, covered in wood ceiling. Along the southeast, is a hall with five doors, a window and a fireplace, which connects to the kitchen (with stove and fireplace). The hall situated on the northwest has two windows and three doors, one of which is common to the interior.

Castle of Elvas

A Praça-forte de Elvas, no Alentejo, localiza-se na freguesia da Alcáçova, na cidade e concelho de Elvas, distrito de Portalegre, em Portugal.

Distante apenas quinze quilômetros de Badajoz, Elvas constituiu um ponto estratégico da defesa lindeira da nação, na região do Alto Alentejo. Por essa razão, concentrou, ao longo dos séculos, um poderoso sistema defensivo, baseado nas suaves elevações distribuídas pela planície circundante e no vizinho rio Guadiana, sendo cognominada como Rainha da Fronteira.

História
O castelo medieval

Os constantes conflitos pela posse dessa região lindeira com Castela atravessaram os reinados de D. Dinis (1279-1325) - que deu Carta de Foral à Vila (1231) e lhe ampliou as defesas -, de D. Fernando (1367-1383) – que a dotou de uma terceira cintura de muralhas -, de D. João II (1481-1495) e de D. Manuel I (1495-1521), propiciando a esta vila um notável sistema defensivo, que no início do século XVI ostentava uma tripla cintura de muralhas, vinte e duas torres, onze portas e barbacã.

A Praça-forte

No contexto da Guerra da Restauração da independência portuguesa, a importância da posição estratégica de Elvas, sobre a fronteira com a Espanha, tornou-a sede do Governo das Armas do Alentejo, sob o comando de Matias de Albuquerque, militar experiente nas campanhas do Brasil, que lhe iniciou extensas mudanças e importantes reforços na estrutura defensiva. Esse aparato seria testado em pouco tempo, quando estando guarnecida por um efetivo de apenas dois mil portugueses resistiu a um cerco de quinze mil espanhóis, sob o comando do Marquês de Torrecusa, por nove dias (Novembro de 1644). Novamente sitiada em fins de 1658, a vitória portuguesa na batalha das Linhas de Elvas (14 de Janeiro de 1659), salvou esta Praça-forte e o reino de cair uma vez mais em poder de Filipe IV de Espanha. A sua folha de sucessos indica ainda a resistência aos cercos de 1663, 1706, 1711 e 1801 (este último durante a chamada Guerra das Laranjas).

Em 30 de junho de 2012 foi classificada como Património Mundial pela UNESCO.

Características

O castelo medieval

No início da Idade Moderna, o castelo era composto por três cortinas defensivas, conservando as duas mais antigas importantes estruturas do período muçulmano.

Na linha de defesa externa, mais recente, datando do reinado de D. Fernando, reforçada por vinte e dois torreões e por uma barbacã, abriam-se originalmente onze portas - reduzidas a três pelas reformas do século XVII (respectivamente a de Évora, a de Olivença e a de São Vicente). Esta defesa foi parcialmente absorvida pela expansão urbana.

A linha intermediária de defesa também foi comprometida pela expansão urbana. Os seus muros eram rasgados por quatro portas: a da Ferrada, a Porta Nova ou da Encarnação, a de Santiago e a do Bispo.

A linha de defesa interna ergue-se na cota mais elevada do terreno, a nordeste, tendo chegado até nós duas das suas antigas portas: a da Alcáçova e a do Miradeiro. É constituída pelo castelo do reinado de D. Sancho II, remodelado por D. Dinis e reforçado por D. João II e por D. Manuel I. Ladeado por duas torres quadrangulares, a mais alta correspondendo à de menagem, o Portão de Armas é protegido por um balcão sustentado por mísulas, onde se exibe o brasão de armas de D. João II. Em suas muralhas ameadas inscreve-se uma torre hexagonal irregular, rasgada por aberturas de troneiras e coberta por cúpula semi-esférica. O alto desta torre é percorrido por um adarve protegido por parapeito com largos merlões. Na praça de armas os diversos fragmentos arquitetônicos, denunciam as diferentes épocas construtivas e estilísticas.

A Praça-forte
Louvada pelos entendidos como a mais poderosa praça-forte de Portugal, considerada inexpugnável, as obras da sua cintura exterior ficaram a cargo do tenente-general Rui Correia Lucas, tendo colaborado no projeto os nomes de notáveis como Soremans e do jesuíta neerlandês João Cosmander, este último responsável pelo projeto de uma grandiosa cisterna com 2.200 m³.

Com planta poligonal estrelada, a defesa desenvolvia-se em doze frentes, composta por sete baluartes, três meio-baluartes, dois redondos, oito meias-luas e três contra-guardas, além de cortinas monumentais. No interior, em área urbana de marcadas características militares, abrigavam-se os quartéis e casernas casamatadas para as tropas, depósitos e paióis.



Praça-forte de Elvas

O Forte de Santa Luzia localiza-se no Alentejo, na cidade e sede de concelho de Elvas, distrito de Portalegre, em Portugal.

Juntamente com o Forte da Piedade, o Forte de São Francisco, o Forte de São Mamede e o Forte de São Pedro, fazia parte da defesa da Praça-Forte de Elvas e integra o complexo Cidade – Quartel Fronteiriça de Elvas e as suas Fortificações – classificado desde o dia 30 de Junho de 2012 como Património Mundial da Humanidade pela UNESCO.

Repetidamente assediado durante a Guerra da Restauração, foi durante o cerco à cidade de Elvas, liderado pelo comandante espanhol D. Luís de Haro, em 1658, que se destacou pela sua resistência heroica. O cerco de 1658 precedeu a Batalha das Linhas de Elvas a 14 de Janeiro de 1659.

Em 2014, o Forte de Santa Luzia foi integrado num novo projeto do Ministério da Defesa Nacional, criado com o apoio do Turismo de Portugal, chamado Turismo Militar, que apresenta roteiros históricos baseados em heróis portugueses.

História

Remonta ao contexto da Guerra da Restauração da independência portuguesa, quando foi primitivamente riscado por Matias de Albuquerque (1641). No mesmo ano, seria redesenhado na traça de Sebastião Frias, quando recebeu o formato de um polígono estrelado. O genovês Hieronimo Rozzeti traçou-lhe novo projeto (1642), o que causou atritos que culminaram com a discórdia do engenheiro militar francês Charles Lassart. Finalmente foi concluído e inaugurado em 1648.

Juntamente com as demais fortificações do seu sistema defensivo, durante a batalha das Linhas de Elvas resistiu com sucesso ao pesado sítio que lhe foi imposto, de 22 de outubro de 1658 a 14 de janeiro de 1659, pelo exército espanhol sob o comando de D. Luís de Haro.

Forte de Santa Luzia

The Castle of Campo Maior (Portuguese: Castelo de Campo Maior) is a medieval military fortification, in the civil parish of São João Bapista, municipality of Campo Maior, part of a first line of defense in the Portuguese Alentejo, oriented towards Spain, in conjunction with the military forts of Ouguela, Elvas, Olivença and Juromenha. It is a walled bulwark of the modern era, highlighted by a Renaissance-era window in the northern tower of the castle. It has been listed as a National monument since 1911.

History

Owing the regions occupation by successive tribes of Celts, Romans and Muslims, it is likely that the territory of Campo Maior has been settled during the pre-historic epochs. The land of Campo Maior was definitively conquered from the Moors by the forces of Kingdom of León in 1230. The first foral (charter) was issued by the Bishop of Badajoz thirty years after this event.

Eventually, the castle was conquered by the Portuguese in 1295-1296, and integrated into the national territory in 1297, under the Treaty of Alcanizes. In order to maintain the peace between Spain and Portugal, King Denis ordered the reconstruction of the fortress in 1310, oriented toward his Iberian rivals. These fortifications were extended and rehabilitation during the 15th and 16th century completed, during the reigns of his successors John and Manuel, designed by Duarte d'Armas.

Kingdom

Around 1640, following the Portuguese Restoration War, King John IV established a Counsel of War that formed their territory into military provinces: Minho, Trás-os-Montes, Beira, Estremadura, Alentejo and Algarve. Therefore, following the decision of John IV, work began in 1645 under the supervision of João Cosmander to reconstruct the bulwarks. Between 17th and 18th century the fortification was adapted for the time, obtaining the bulwarks and secondary walls, in addition to the installation of permanent military storehouses, stables and barracks. After 1644, many of the reconstruction of the fortress was handled by Nicolau de Langres. A document, dated 14 May 1647, identified Langres as the military engineer of the project, while requesting material for the construction of military square, in addition to the arms necessary to protect the castle and its surrounding territory. In 1662, Luís Serrão Pimentel continued work on the walls.

On 22 May 1680, D. Peter, acting as regent, ordered Mateus do Couto, D. Diogo Pardo and António Rodrigues to Campo Maior, in order to verify the work being done on the citadel, under the plans of Luís Serrão Pimentel.

During the Spanish War of Succession, in 1712, the square was besieged by Spanish forces and defended in the main square.

In 1732, an explosion in powder magazine (caused by thunderstorms) resulted in the destruction of the castle and surrounding walls of the old town around 3:00 in the morning; the space was totally levelled, and many of the homes around the walls were destroyed. At the time of the explosion, the magazine held 90,000 kilograms (200,000 lb) of gunpowder and 5000 munitions; the violent explosion resulted in a fire that, in addition to the direct deaths, consumed almost half of the town's homes. The powder magazine was reconstructed by order of John V of Portugal in 1735, under the meticulous care of Manuel de Azevedo Fortes. On 2 July 1736, Diogo Lopes de Sepúlveda was awarded the commission to the post of Sergeant-Major, as part of his efforts in reconstructing the square after these events.

But, in 1762, Spanish forces, once again, invaded the territory (during the Seven Years' War and meeting the Portuguese in Campo Maior.

Peninsular wars

During the Peninsular War, during the Battle of the Oranges (Portuguese: Guerra das Laranjas), Portuguese forces capitulated in 1810. After a small victory, these forces recapitulated in 1811.

20th century

On 18 March 1911, the structure was classified as a national monument by Decree. In the first half of the 1940s, the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) began works to restore the group of structures. A second phase of construction was begun in the 1960s, and extended into the 1970s, marked by interventions in the castle walls and the Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos. A third phase of reconstruction began in the latter part of the 1980s, when the castle and walls repaired, just before the castle became the responsibility of the Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico (IPPAR), on 1 June 1992, Decree-law 106F/92.

Owing to bad weather in 2010, the castle walls were partially destroyed.

Architecture

The castle is located in an urban context, is walls encircling the area known as Outeiro de Santa Vitória, the top of which is the castle, 299 metres (981 ft) in altitude, transformed into a citadel with bulwark fortifications. It is positioned, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Spanish frontier and 18 kilometres (11 mi) from Badajoz and Elvas (areas that are visible from its towers), the fortress is encircled in the north, northeast, east and southeast by modern buildings and the town is similarly encircled by agricultural lands.

A heavily walled fortification, formed of a ten-sided polygon curtain of walls, with some missing facades. The walls, from the south, in a clockwise direction: the bulwark of Boa Vista, middle bulwark of São Sebastião, the gates of the Vila (town), the middle bulwark of Lisbon, middle bulwark of Curral dos Coelhos, bulwark of Santa Cruz, bulwark of Cavaleiro (also referred to as the São João bulwark), the middle bulwark of Príncipe, bulwark of Fonte do Concelho, middle bulwark of São Francisco and middle bulwark of Santa Rosa. The fortification also includes a gap and counterescarp in part of its extension, namely in the south and northeastern parts, as well as four turrets.

A number of military edifices have occupied the spaces within the castle, collectively maintaining several of the existing buildings in some form of use (the warehouses, barracks, stables and living spaces).

The castle retains two of its six original towers, an irregular rectangular space with walls forming a trapezoid space, with battlements and adarve permitting access to the remaining towers. The towers have battlements and walls, terminating in a frusto-pyramidal domes, rounded at the top. Each tower has a vaulted ceiling at the adarve, with the northern tower exemplified by a decorated Renaissance window. To the south, are the walls that circle the old village of Campo Maior, a rough design in the form of an elipse, with seven towers, six rectangular and one, in the northeast, octagonal, forming the main entrance to the complex. The walls are lower, in order to support barbettes and canon emplacements. One of the towers, in the southwest, along one of the false gates has battlements. To the southeast is, also, the Chapel of Senhor dos Aflitos.

The castle grounds are semi-/permanently occupied by cultural (museum historical and military architecture of Campo Maior); residential (part of the bulwarks occupied by residences, in the middle bulwark of São Sebastião there are gypsy communities); and equipment (part of the bulwarks occupied by storerooms and facilities for breeding of animals, as well as waste disposal).

Castle of Campo Maior

A Fortaleza de Juromenha localiza-se na freguesia de Juromenha, concelho de Alandroal, distrito de Évora, em Portugal. Entre a Guerra da Restauração e a Guerra Peninsular, sobre o rio Guadiana cuja travessia fechava, foi considerada uma das chaves da fronteira do Alentejo.

História

Antecedentes

Dominando este ponto de travessia do rio Guadiana, a ocupação de seu sítio remonta a galo-celtas e a Romanos. Ocupada mais tarde quando da Invasão muçulmana da Península Ibérica, à época da Reconquista cristã da península manteve-se por dois séculos como posto-avançado de defesa da importante cidade de Badajoz, desde o século X em mãos do Califado de Córdoba.

O castelo medieval

A povoação e o seu castelo foram conquistados desde 1167 pelas tropas do rei D. Afonso Henriques (1112-1185), auxiliado pelas forças do lendário Geraldo Sem Pavor. Como recompensa, o soberano nomeou este último como alcaide do castelo. Povoação e castelo retornariam às mãos dos muçulmanos, sob o comando do califa Iacube Almançor, em 1191, para serem definitivamente conquistadas por forças portuguesas, sob o comando de D. Paio Peres Correia, em 1242.

Objeto de preocupação do rei D. Dinis (1279-1325), este lhe incrementou o povoamento, concedendo-lhe Carta de Foral em 1312 e lhe promoveu importantes reforços nas defesas. Passou, assim, a contar com muralhas de taipa revestidas em cantaria de granito e ardósia, às quais se adossavam 16 torres quadrangulares, dominadas por uma imponente Torre de Menagem que se alçava a 44 m de altura.

As bodas do rei D. Afonso IV (1325-57) com D. Beatriz de Castela (1309) e de Afonso XI de Castela com D. Maria de Portugal foram celebrados neste castelo.

O seu foral seria confirmado no reinado de D. João II (1481-1495), a 28 de Agosto de 1492, e a povoação e seu castelo encontram-se figurados (lado norte) por Duarte de Armas no seu Livro das Fortalezas (c. 1509).

Praça-forte da Juromenha
Foi reforçado e ampliado à época da Guerra da Restauração da independência de Portugal, quando foi erguida a Fortaleza de Juromenha, com cuja história passa a se confundir. No contexto da Restauração da independência portuguesa, a partir de 1640, ante a iminência de uma invasão espanhola, impôs-se a completa reestruturação das fortificações fronteiriças de Portugal, adaptando-se as estruturas ainda medievais às exigências da artilharia da época. Diante da precariedade da defesa constituída pelo Castelo de Juromenha, que remontava à Idade Média, foram apresentados, em 1644, três diferentes planos para modernização desta defesa ao Conselho de Guerra do rei D. João IV (1640-1656):

o de autoria do engenheiro-militar e arquitecto italiano Pascoeli, descartado por oferecer uma proteção insuficiente;

o do jesuíta neerlandês Cosmander, que veio a ser eleito na ocasião, mesmo em face dos elevados custos e dificuldades técnicas;

o do francês Nicolau de Langres, que, em face da paralisação do projecto do seu antecessor, veio a ter este aprovado em 1646, assumindo as obras.

Com os trabalhos ainda em andamento, um incêndio fez saltar o paiol da pólvora (Janeiro de 1659), o que causou a destruição de parte expressiva das estruturas já edificadas e do antigo Paço Municipal. Uma centena de homens da guarnição (estudantes da Universidade deÉvora) e três mestres que os capitaneavam, perderam a vida na ocasião.

Passando-se para o serviço da Espanha, Langres comandou, em pessoa, a artilharia inimiga quando do ataque de 1662, capturando esta fortificação que ele mesmo construíra. Esta praça permaneceu ocupada por tropas espanholas até ao Tratado de Lisboa (13 de Fevereiro de 1668), quando retornou à posse da Coroa portuguesa.

Os séculos XVIII e XIX

A fortaleza sofreu severos danos com terramoto de 1755, tendo-lhe sido efetuadas obras de reparo e de ampliação, quando foi adossado um novo baluarte à muralha pelo lado do rio Guadiana, para defesa do ancoradouro.

No início do século XIX, no alvorecer da Guerra Peninsular, foi entregue, sem resistência pelo seu Governador, às tropas espanholas quando da chamada Guerra das Laranjas, para ser recuperada apenas em 1808.

Com a perda de sua função defensiva diante da evolução dos meios bélicos, entrou em decadência, até ao seu abandono em 1920.

Os dias de hoje
A partir de 1950 a Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) iniciou-lhe extensas obras de consolidação e reparo, que se estenderam, com intervalos, até 1996.

Encontra-se classificada como Imóvel de Interesse Público através do Decreto nº 41.191, de 18 de Julho de 1957.

Em precário estado de conservação, encontram-se concluídos os trabalhos de prospecção arqueológica, encontrando-se pendente de aprovação um projeto de requalificação de suas dependências como instalação hoteleira, inscrito num programa mais vasto de turismo para a região, desde 2005.

Actualmente podem ser observados trechos de muralhas e de edificações representativos dos seus diversos períodos construtivos, onde às estruturas medievais se misturam os elementos arquitectónicos típicos das fortalezas abaluartadas.

Fortaleza de Juromenha

The Castle of Ouguela (Portuguese: Castelo de Ouguela) is a medieval castle erected in the civil parish of São João Baptista, municipality of Campo Maior, in the Portuguese district of Portalegre.

It is classified by IGESPAR as a Site of Public Interest.

Built on an escarpment, the castle dominates the village on the left bank of Abrilongo riverside, near its confluence with the Xévora river. Rebuilt by King Dinis (1279-1325), the castle received bulwark walls during the reign of King John IV (1640-1656). Its walls resembled the Spanish fortification of Alburquerque. It currently is a member of the Tourism-Promotion Plains Area.

History

Early history

The early occupation of its site dates back to pre-Roman fort. At the time of the Roman invasion and occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, the town was designated under the name Budua. During its occupation by the Visigoths, they called it Niguela. From the eighth century Umuyyad Muslims had the town fortified.

Medieval castle

At the time of the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula, reconquest of the village and its surrounding land was finally achieved 1230, by Castilian and Leonese forces. Years later, May 28, 1255, the good-men of Badajoz county donated Ouguela and elsewhere to the Bishop of Badajoz.

By the Treaty of Alcañices on 12 September, 1297, the domains of Ouguela and its castle transferred to the Crown of Portugal. The following year, King Dinis (1279-1325) in Lisbon on January 5, 1298, aimed at increasing Ouguela's settlement and defense, granted the town a charter with many privileges, with a focus on its defense.

During the reign of Ferdinand starts the construction of the new fence of the village, works that continue under the reign of King John I (1385-1433). The latter, also with a view to its settlement and defense, granted the village the Couto privilege homiziados (7 December 1420).

War of Independence to modern day

During the War for the Restoration of Portuguese independence, the advisers to John IV (1640-1656) determined that there was a need to modernize their defenses, which won bulwark lines project in charge of the French architect Nicolau de Langres.

It is from this period that the episode immortalized his defense when the Alentejo invasion by a force of 1,500 riders and 1,000 infants Spaniards coming from Badajoz under the Marquis command Torrecusa in 1644. For the achievement of Ouguela offered one traitor, João Rodrigues de Oliveira, who worked with the Spanish.

During the eighteenth century, records indicate a construction started to build a bulwark, a half-bastion and a ravelin after the earthquake of 1755. With the defense thus strengthened, the garrison under the command of cavalry captain Brás de Carvalho repelled the Spanish invasion of 1762.

Legal papers dating from the period between 1755 and 1803 shows the defenses consisted of a watchman, ditches and cuttings. On that date, were built under the Marquis of command de la Reine, the Sergeant Major of Engineers Maximiano Jose Serra, the scopes of Cabeço da Forca and Martyr. Although there have been designed to recover one of the towers south of the castle (1828) and the construction of a crescent to the east Access Protection (1829), the square was demilitarized in 1840. Subsequently, the West sector, defined by bulwark structures, it became a cemetery of the village.

The property was classified as Property of Public Interest by decree published on August 18, 1943.

The forces of nature taking its toll brought government attention. The government intervened through the National Buildings and Monuments Directorate General (DGEMN) and oversaw development campaigns in 1976, 1987, 1991 and 1994 that involved the consolidation, repairs and restoration of ramparts and the internal areas and access to the castle.

Recently developed a draft protection and enhancement of the castle and fortifications Ouguela, designed by the architects Miguel Pedroso de Lima and Jose Filipe Cardoso, integrating the recovery, revitalization and enhancement of the urban centers of Ouguela (Portugal) and Albuquerque (Spain) and their fortifications. The project envisages the creation of a museum area, core research and documentation, and implementation of circuits (equestrian and pedestrian) with scenic connection Albuquerque fortification.

Castle of Ouguela

O Castelo de Olivença localiza-se na povoação de mesmo nome à margem esquerda do rio Odiana, em território de Espanha, segundo o Estado espanhol, e em território de Portugal actualmente administrado por Espanha, segundo o Estado português. Esta situação de disputa territorial mantém-se desde o Congresso de Viena (1815) e, até hoje, ainda não houve quaisquer negociações entre os dois Estados para a resolver.

História

O castelo medieval

À época da Reconquista cristã da Península Ibérica, o território à margem esquerda do rio Guadiana foi dominado quando da conquista definitiva de Badajoz pelas forças de Afonso IX de Leão, na Primavera de 1230.

Como compensação pelos serviços prestados nessa conquista, o soberano fez a doação dos domínios de Burguillos e de Alconchel aos cavaleiros da Ordem do Templo, para que os povoassem e defendessem. Em algum momento entre esta doação e o ano de 1256, a Ordem estabeleceu a Comenda de Olivença, à época uma pequena povoação que se afirmava em torno de uma fonte (atual Fuente de La Corna), voltada para a agricultura e para a pastorícia. Nesse local, os Templários ergueram um castelo, uma Igreja sob a invocação de Santa Maria, organizando a exploração econômica da comunidade.

Sob o reinado de D. Dinis (1279-1325), entretanto, o equilíbrio de forças assim obtido alterou-se a favor de Portugal: em Castela, o falecimento prematuro de Sancho IV de Castela (1284-1295), a regência de D. Maria de Molina e a menoridade de Fernando IV de Castela, acarretam grave crise política que conduz à sublevação da nobreza. Como agravante deste quadro de guerra civil, os muçulmanos intentam uma contra-ofensiva. O soberano português, aproveitando-se desta conjuntura, através de uma combinação de pressão militar e diplomática, age para recuperar os domínios portugueses perdidos na margem esquerda do rio Guadiana: Mértola, Noudar e Mourão, com a assinatura da Convenção de Ciudad Rodrigo (1295).

Com a assinatura do Tratado de Alcanices (1297), os domínios de Olivença e seu castelo foram confirmados na posse da Coroa portuguesa, revalorizando-lhe a posição estratégica frente a Badajoz, o que se traduziu num progressivo incremento das fortificações da primeira.

Desse modo, a partir de 1298 D. Dinis iniciou a reconstrução das primitivas defesas dos Templários, ampliando a cerca da vila que, com planta quadrada passou a ser amparada por quatorze torres. Os trabalhos tiveram prosseguimento no reinado de seu sucessor, Afonso IV de Portugal (1325-1357), que os completou em 1335, com a construção da Alcáçova em seu interior, no vértice a Norte.

Durante as guerras fernandinas, no último terço do século XIV, Olivença recebeu uma nova cerca mais extensa, de planta oval, onde se rasgavam cinco portas. Embora esta estrutura não tenha chegado até nós, uma vez que foi inteiramente demolida, a forma de seu traçado persiste na malha urbana que condicionou.

Posteriormente, sob o reinado de João II de Portugal (1481-1495), este soberano fez levantar, no recinto da Alcáçova, a mais alta torre de menagem da linha raiana (1488). Elevando-se a 35 metros de altura, o conjunto recebeu o reforço de um fosso inundado. O seu topo era acedido por um conjunto de 17 rampas, que permitia a movimentação de peças de artilharia. Esta obra monumental próxima a Badajoz, erguida em tempo de paz, foi acompanhada à distância, com suspeição, pela Coroa de Castela.

Ao se iniciar o reinado de Manuel I de Portugal (1495-1521), desenvolveu-se uma nova etapa construtiva nas fortificações de Olivença: a cerca fernandina foi demolida por Afonso Mendes de Oliveira e a sua pedra aproveitada na construção de uma terceira cerca, da qual dispomos a iconografia de Duarte de Armas (Livro das Fortalezas, c. 1509).

Este soberano foi responsável, ainda, por outra importante estrutura militar para a defesa de Olivença: a construção de uma ponte fortificada sobre o rio Guadiana, visando assegurar as comunicações entre as tropas portuguesas nas duas margens, a chamada Ponte da Ajuda.

A Guerra da Restauração e a Praça-forte de Olivença

No contexto da Guerra da Restauração da independência de Portugal, a posição de Olivença readquiriu importância estratégica. Desse modo, uma nova etapa construtiva teve lugar, demolindo-se para esse fim a antiga cerca manuelina e reaproveitando-se a sua pedra para erguer uma quarta muralha, amparada por nove baluartes.

No contexto da Guerra Peninsular, a Praça-forte de Olivença passou para o domínio espanhol. O conjunto defensivo foi bastante danificado durante a Guerra da Independência Espanhola (1808-1814) e pelo seu subsequente abandono.

Na actualidade

Em 1975 o antigo castelo sofreu uma extensa campanha de restauração, quando as suas dependências foram requalificadas, passando a sediar o Museu Etnográfico de Olivença.

Em 2006 o castelo sofreu nova intervenção, tendo sido restaurada a porta de São Sebastião.

Características

Constituía-se em um castelo com muralhas espessas e elevadas, em alvenaria de pedra, reforçadas por grandes torres de paredes cegas. A defesa era efetuada a partir dos matacães, uma vez que não possuía ameias.

As muralhas eram rasgadas por três portas, de que se conservaram duas: a Porta de Alconchel, em arco de volta perfeita, defendida por duas torres; e a Porta dos Anjos, também em arco de volta perfeita mas rematada por um frontão. A terceira porta, sob a invocação de São Sebastião, também em arco de volta perfeita, foi reconstruída no contexto dos trabalhos de restauração, em 2006.

A torre de menagem mede 40 metros de altura por 18 de lado e é dividida internamente em três pavimentos, onde se destaca a decoração do último. É acedida por dezassete rampas com cobertura em abóbada de canhão permitindo o trânsito de peças de artilharia.

Como apoio à defesa, os portugueses construíram ainda diversas atalaias de vigilância, com a função de comunicar à guarnição do castelo os movimentos das tropas castelhanas.