Category: Military Architecture > Castle
District: Lisboa > Cascais > Estoril > São João do Estoril
The Forte de Santo António da Barra stands in the locality of Estoril, in São João do Estoril, municipality of Cascais. Situated overlooking the sea, at the mouth of the Tagus River, this coastal fort offers a panoramic view of Cascais Bay and the coastline. It is strategically positioned on Avenida Marginal, integrating into the urban and maritime landscape of the region, between the rocky area of the coast and the surrounding wooded area.
The construction of the Forte de Santo António da Barra began in 1590, by order of King Philip I of Portugal (Philip II of Spain). The project was overseen by the Neapolitan military engineer Giovanni Vicenzo Casale. Its construction was part of a broader effort to fortify the Tagus estuary, aiming to strengthen Lisbon's defenses against potential naval attacks, particularly from English and Dutch corsairs, and to prevent landings on the coastline between São Julião da Barra and Cascais. For many centuries, it was a crucial point in the maritime protection of the Portuguese capital.
The fort's architecture is notable for its irregular polygonal star-shaped plan. It features two exterior bastions, interconnected by V-shaped ravelins with embrasures for cannons, and cylindrical turrets topped with domes at their vertices. At the heart of the fortification, a square-plan fortified building rises, which housed a chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony, as well as vaulted casemates. This central structure is protected by a second line of walls, including bastions and horseshoe-shaped ravelins. A moat surrounded the two belts of walls, giving it a unique defensive configuration compared to other forts in the Tagus estuary.
Throughout its history, the Forte de Santo António da Barra had various uses. After its military role, which included modernization efforts in the 17th century to increase firepower, and significant restoration after the earthquake of 1755, its strategic function gradually diminished. In the late 19th century, it served as a post for the Fiscal Guard. Subsequently, from 1915 onwards, its facilities hosted a holiday camp for the Instituto Feminino de Educação e Trabalho de Odivelas. Between 1950 and 1968, the fort became the seasonal residence of the then President of the Council, António de Oliveira Salazar, and is notable for being the place where he suffered a domestic accident in 1968, an event with political repercussions for the regime.
The Forte de Santo António da Barra has been recognized as an Immovable of Public Interest since 1977. After a period of abandonment, it underwent a recovery process and, since 2018, has been open to the public, allowing exploration of its spaces and contact with a place of rich historical and architectural memory. Visiting this fort offers an opportunity to contemplate the beauty of the coast while discovering an important piece of Portugal's defense and history.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.698295355172, -9.3840467482759
Coordinates DMS: 38°41'53.9"N 09°23'2.6"W
On-duty Pharmacy Estoril
