Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 39.41186996552473, -9.51009157704379

The Fort of São João Baptista das Berlengas, Forte da Berlenga or Fortaleza das Berlengas, is located on the island of Berlenga Grande, in the Berlengas archipelago, integrating the defensive set of Peniche, in the district of Leiria, in Portugal.

The São João Baptista Fort has been classified as a National Monument since 1938.

History

Background

The human occupation of Berlenga Grande (the only habitable one) dates back to Antiquity, being designated as the island of Saturn by Roman geographers. It was later visited by Muslim navigators, Vikings, French and English corsairs.

In 1513, with the support of Queen D. Leonor, monks of the Order of Saint Jerome settled there with the purpose of offering aid to navigation and to the victims of the frequent shipwrecks on that Atlantic coast, devastated by corsairs. They founded the Berlenga Misericórdia Monastery on the site where a restaurant was built in 1953. However, food shortages, disease and constant assaults by Moroccan, Algerian, English and French pirates and corsairs made the life of retreat impossible for the friars, who were often incommunicado due to the inclemency of the sea.

The 17th century fort

In the context of the Restoration War, under the government of D. João IV (1640-1656), the War Council determined the demolition of the ruins of the abandoned monastery and the use of its stones in the construction of a fortification to defend that strategic point from the coast. Although the date on which the works were started is unknown, as early as 1655, when it was still under construction, it successfully resisted its first attack, when it was bombarded by three vessels flying the Turkish flag.

In 1666, in the context of the attempted kidnapping of the French princess Maria Francisca Isabel de Savoy, fiancée of Alfonso VI (1656-67), a Spanish fleet made up of 15 vessels attempted to conquer the fort, defended by a force of just over two dozens of soldiers under the command of Corporal António Avelar Pessoa. In a combined naval bombardment and land landing operation, the attackers lost, in just two days, 400 soldiers on land and 100 on ships (against one dead and four wounded by the defenders), the Covadonga ship being sunk and two others seriously damaged, sunk in the return to Cadiz. Betrayed by a deserter, without more ammunition and supplies, the square finally surrendered, losing nine of its artillery pieces captured by the invaders.

During the Peninsular War, it was used as a support base by the English forces, in a guerrilla campaign in which the population of Peniche actively collaborated.

Subsequently, it underwent restoration works, with the rebuilding of the Chapel inside.

During the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834), the fortress was in the hands of supporters of Miguel I of Portugal (1828-1834). With a shortage of artillery, however, they did not resist the attack by the liberals who used it as a base for the assault on the citadel of Peniche, a stronghold of the Miguelistas.

With no greater military value, given the evolution of military means in the 19th century, it was dismantled (1847) and abandoned, starting to be used as a support base for commercial fishing.

From the 20th century to our days

In the mid-twentieth century it was partially restored and opened to tourism and adapted as a guesthouse. Currently it works only as a shelter, under the management of the Associação dos Amigos das Berlengas.

Characteristics

O forte de planta no formato de um polígono heptagonal irregular (orgânica). No terrapleno, pelo lado voltado para a ilha, apresenta a edificação principal com dois pavimentos, com doze compartimentos onde funcionavam as dependências de serviço (Casa do Comando, Quartéis de Tropas, Armazéns, Cozinha e outros) e mais oito compartimentos inscritos no interior das muralhas. Um corredor sem iluminação dá acesso internamente aos vários pontos da estrutura. Voltadas para o mar rasgam-se onze canhoneiras.

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 39.41186996552473, -9.51009157704379

The Fort of São João Baptista das Berlengas, Forte da Berlenga or Fortaleza das Berlengas, is located on the island of Berlenga Grande, in the Berlengas archipelago, integrating the defensive set of Peniche, in the district of Leiria, in Portugal.

The São João Baptista Fort has been classified as a National Monument since 1938.

History

Background

The human occupation of Berlenga Grande (the only habitable one) dates back to Antiquity, being designated as the island of Saturn by Roman geographers. It was later visited by Muslim navigators, Vikings, French and English corsairs.

In 1513, with the support of Queen D. Leonor, monks of the Order of Saint Jerome settled there with the purpose of offering aid to navigation and to the victims of the frequent shipwrecks on that Atlantic coast, devastated by corsairs. They founded the Berlenga Misericórdia Monastery on the site where a restaurant was built in 1953. However, food shortages, disease and constant assaults by Moroccan, Algerian, English and French pirates and corsairs made the life of retreat impossible for the friars, who were often incommunicado due to the inclemency of the sea.

The 17th century fort

In the context of the Restoration War, under the government of D. João IV (1640-1656), the War Council determined the demolition of the ruins of the abandoned monastery and the use of its stones in the construction of a fortification to defend that strategic point from the coast. Although the date on which the works were started is unknown, as early as 1655, when it was still under construction, it successfully resisted its first attack, when it was bombarded by three vessels flying the Turkish flag.

In 1666, in the context of the attempted kidnapping of the French princess Maria Francisca Isabel de Savoy, fiancée of Alfonso VI (1656-67), a Spanish fleet made up of 15 vessels attempted to conquer the fort, defended by a force of just over two dozens of soldiers under the command of Corporal António Avelar Pessoa. In a combined naval bombardment and land landing operation, the attackers lost, in just two days, 400 soldiers on land and 100 on ships (against one dead and four wounded by the defenders), the Covadonga ship being sunk and two others seriously damaged, sunk in the return to Cadiz. Betrayed by a deserter, without more ammunition and supplies, the square finally surrendered, losing nine of its artillery pieces captured by the invaders.

During the Peninsular War, it was used as a support base by the English forces, in a guerrilla campaign in which the population of Peniche actively collaborated.

Subsequently, it underwent restoration works, with the rebuilding of the Chapel inside.

During the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834), the fortress was in the hands of supporters of Miguel I of Portugal (1828-1834). With a shortage of artillery, however, they did not resist the attack by the liberals who used it as a base for the assault on the citadel of Peniche, a stronghold of the Miguelistas.

With no greater military value, given the evolution of military means in the 19th century, it was dismantled (1847) and abandoned, starting to be used as a support base for commercial fishing.

From the 20th century to our days

In the mid-twentieth century it was partially restored and opened to tourism and adapted as a guesthouse. Currently it works only as a shelter, under the management of the Associação dos Amigos das Berlengas.

Characteristics

O forte de planta no formato de um polígono heptagonal irregular (orgânica). No terrapleno, pelo lado voltado para a ilha, apresenta a edificação principal com dois pavimentos, com doze compartimentos onde funcionavam as dependências de serviço (Casa do Comando, Quartéis de Tropas, Armazéns, Cozinha e outros) e mais oito compartimentos inscritos no interior das muralhas. Um corredor sem iluminação dá acesso internamente aos vários pontos da estrutura. Voltadas para o mar rasgam-se onze canhoneiras.