Fort of Serra do Formoso

Category: Military Architecture > Fort

District: Lisboa > Vila Franca de Xira > São João dos Montes > Adanaia

Location

The Fort of Serra do Formoso is located in the Adanaia area, integrated into the locality of São João dos Montes, in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira. Erected on the elevation of Serra do Formoso, at about 309 meters above sea level, this site offers a wide perspective over the surrounding landscape. Its strategic position allowed for visual control of the territory, a crucial factor for its defensive function in the past.

The mountain range itself provides an environment of nature and tranquility, inviting a walk through its more rural surroundings, with views extending over valleys and countryside areas of the region.

Memory of the Lines of Torres Vedras

This small-sized fort, with its hexagonal shape, was one of the elements that constituted the first defensive line of the Lines of Torres Vedras. Built in the early 19th century, its main mission was to protect the vital Royal Road of Arruda and the entire adjacent valley, at a time of imminent threat from French invasions.

To ensure its defense, the structure housed a garrison of one hundred and twenty infantrymen and had three nine-pounder artillery pieces. Its importance lay in its integration into a complex military system aimed at protecting the capital, Lisbon, against the Napoleonic armies, demonstrating the military engineering and resilience of the time.

The Marks of Time

Although the Fort of Serra do Formoso is currently in an advanced state of degradation, it is still possible to discern the remains of its original design. Upon visiting the site, what remains of its project is visible, including the ditch, the scarp, the counterscarp, and some of the gun embrasures that once housed the artillery.

Inside the fort, the remains of the powder magazine, the compartment where gunpowder was stored, can still be identified, although quite deteriorated and covered by vegetation. Its current condition invites imagining its historical role and the military life that once existed there, offering an authentic journey into the past.

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