Fort of São Pedro

Category: Military Architecture > Fortress

District: Açores > Praia da Vitória > Biscoitos

Location:

The Fort of São Pedro is located in the town of Biscoitos, in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, on the north coast of Terceira Island, in the Azores. Its position is strategic, situated on a stretch of coastline, providing a comprehensive view of the ocean and the surrounding coastal landscape. It is a point where one can observe the scale of the coastline in this area of the island.

Past and Purpose:

This fort was built around 1520, on the initiative of Pedro Anes do Canto, Provider of Fortifications. Its primary function was to protect the Biscoitos anchorage, a support point for the vessels of the time, including those following the India Run. Over the centuries, the Fort of São Pedro played an important defensive role against the frequent attacks by pirates and privateers that once sailed the Atlantic waters.

The history of the fort reflects the troubled periods the island went through. In 1828, in the context of the Portuguese Civil War, it underwent reinforcement works and housed a military detachment, with the aim of preventing eventual landings by opposing forces. After the conflict, it was left unguarded, and by 1881, it was already abandoned and partially in ruins, with its old garrison house occupied by a local fisherman. Later, during World War II, the fort once again had a military function, housing a machine-gun nest.

Structure and Views:

The Fort of São Pedro features an irregular pentagonal plan, characteristic of a bastioned fortification. Its walls, built with ashlar masonry on the exterior face, have openings for cannon ports, which once pointed towards the sea. Although its original structure included elements such as banquettes for musketry and a separate garrison house, what can be observed today is a preserved site.

Currently, the fort is maintained as a viewpoint, a result of an initiative by the Biscoitos Parish Council. It offers a space for those who wish to appreciate the surrounding Atlantic landscape, with the vastness of the ocean and the coastline stretching out of sight. It is a place that invites observation and photographic recording of the natural and maritime beauty of Terceira Island.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt