New Redoubt of the Friar's Coast

Category: Archaeology > Redoubt

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

Location

Situated in the Adanaia urbanization, in the locality of São João dos Montes, in Vila Franca de Xira, the Reduto Novo da Costa da Freira stands at an altitude of approximately 297 meters. Its elevated position on the Serra de São Lourenço offers a wide perspective of the surrounding landscape, once strategic for the defense of the territory. This site, although part of an area with some human presence, maintains a setting that evokes its rural and military past.

Memory of the French Invasions

The Reduto Novo da Costa da Freira is one of the elements that compose the notable Lines of Torres Vedras, a vast defensive system built in the early 19th century. Its construction, around 1810, was a response to the threat of Napoleonic invasions that ravaged Portugal. This fort, initially designated as "Reducto novo da Costa da Freiria" by Major Brandão de Sousa, played a crucial role in the First Defensive Line, conceived by General Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, to protect Lisbon.

Military Characteristics

With a quadrangular plan, this small-sized fort was designed as a flanking redoubt, vital for the protection of the Alhandra escarpment. Its construction primarily used earth, finished with stone, demonstrating the practicality and speed required at the time. Intended to house a garrison of about 150 soldiers, the Reduto Novo da Costa da Freira was also equipped with artillery, including cannons of various calibers, a testament to its tactical importance in containing the invading forces. Its integration with other nearby forts, such as numbers 116 and 118, ensured control of important access routes, namely the Estrada Geral Militar.

A Legacy for the Present

Today, the Reduto Novo da Costa da Freira is no longer a combat structure, but rather a historical-cultural landmark. Its preservation allows visitors a direct connection with a decisive period in Portugal's history, offering an opportunity to understand the scale and strategic intelligence behind the Lines of Torres Vedras. The fort's good state of conservation, including its moat, invites exploration and reflection on the events that shaped the country's destiny over two hundred years ago.

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