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Pirates
The fort was begun around 1680 to defend Lagos from pirates
After the Restoration War the Algarve coast was often attacked by pirates and privateers. A network of maritime defences was ordered to protect Lagos, then seat of the military government of the Algarve. Building began around 1680.
The design
A square fort with a moat, a drawbridge and a ramp to the upper terrace
The fort has a regular square layout planned for artillery battles, with thick walls on the sides facing the ocean. A moat partly surrounded it, and its only entrance was reached by a drawbridge. A ramp leads to the upper terrace.
The site
It stands where the Bensafrim River meets the Atlantic Ocean
The position was close to the city walls, with easy access to the sea. The fort could protect the quays along the river and the eastern sides of the walls, and allow crossfire with the bastions of Lagos Castle.
The chapel
A small chapel inside is covered with 17th century tiles
A stone plaque says construction was started by the Count of Sarzedas and completed by the Marquis of Nisa in 1690. Inside is a small chapel dedicated to Saint Barbara, covered completely with tiles from the 17th century.
Later uses
Later the fort held political prisoners and a youth organization
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake badly damaged the fort. In 1828 it briefly housed forty political prisoners. From 1956 it was changed for the naval branch of the Mocidade Portuguesa. At the end of the 1970s it was sold to Lagos.
Day 1, evening
It comes after Church of Santo Antonio.
More stories from this trip idea
The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Fort of Ponta da Bandeira, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.