Category: Military Architecture > Fort
District: Portalegre > Elvas > Elvas > Caia, São Pedro e Alcáçova
The Fort of Nossa Senhora da Graça, also known as Lippe Fort, stands imposingly on Mount da Graça, northeast of the city of Elvas, in the district of Portalegre. Its elevated position provides an exceptional panoramic view, encompassing the vastness of the Alentejo plain, extending to the border with Spain, and offering a unique perspective on the fortified complex of Elvas. This strategic location not only provided it with a privileged defense but also allowed for visual control of a vast surrounding area, underlining its crucial role in the region's defensive network.
This remarkable example of military architecture was built between 1763 and 1792, in the aftermath of the Seven Years' War, under the orders of the Marquis of Pombal and the supervision of the military engineer Count of Lippe, who bequeathed his second name to it. Its construction represented a significant advance in fortification engineering, designed to complement Elvas's bastioned defensive system and protect the city from attacks from the North. Throughout its history, the fort witnessed decisive moments, including the Peninsular War, where its solidity and intelligent design demonstrated its invaluable strategic worth in the defense of Portuguese borders.
The Fort of Graça is a masterpiece of 18th-century bastioned fortification, characterized by its star-shaped plan and the complexity of its multiple levels of defense. The structure is composed of a central citadel, also known as a redoubt, flanked by four salient bastions, each with its own casemates and artillery platforms. Surrounding the citadel, several rings of walls, deep dry moats, and counter-scarps develop, forming an intricate and practically impenetrable defensive system. Inside, there are dependencies such as magazines, barracks, an infirmary, and a chapel, all designed to ensure self-sufficiency and prolonged resistance in case of a siege. Its geometric layout and the way it integrates into the terrain's topography are a testament to the genius of military engineering of the era.
Recognized as an integral part of the Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Graça represents one of the best-preserved examples of bastioned fortification in the world. Its imposing nature and the complexity of its architectural design not only make it a historical landmark of great relevance but also an enduring symbol of Portuguese military engineering and strategy. A visit to this fort allows for an immersion in the country's defensive history and an appreciation of the scale and precision with which these structures were conceived, offering a unique perspective on Portugal's past and resilience.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forte_de_Nossa_Senhora_da_Graça
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.89476878494293,-7.16435037782293
Coordinates DMS: 38°53'41.2"N 07°09'51.7"W
Weather Elvas
On-duty Pharmacy Elvas
