Fort of Pessegueiro Island

Category: Military Architecture > Fort

District: Setúbal > Sines > Porto Covo > Ilha do Pessegueiro

Location

The Forte da Ilha do Pessegueiro (Pessegueiro Island Fort) is located on Pessegueiro Island, a small piece of land in the Atlantic, off the coast of the parish of Porto Covo, in the municipality of Sines. Its isolated position offers a unique maritime setting, with expansive views over the ocean and the Alentejo coastline. This site is integrated into the protected area of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, which underlines its inclusion in a natural environment of great scenic value.

Origin and Purpose

The construction of the Forte da Ilha do Pessegueiro, also known as Forte de Santo Alberto do Pessegueiro, dates back to the early 17th century, initiated during the period of Spanish rule in Portugal. This fort was part of an ambitious defense project for the Vicentine Coast, aiming to protect the region from frequent attacks by pirates and privateers from North Africa, France, Holland, and Great Britain. The objective was to create a robust defense system, complemented by a fortification on the mainland.

However, the work was never fully completed. Over the centuries, the structure suffered significant damage, notably from the 1755 earthquake. After a period of military use, it also served the Fiscal Guard until the mid-20th century, when it was abandoned. Currently, the Forte da Ilha do Pessegueiro is classified as a Property of Public Interest, recognizing its historical and cultural value.

Architectural Aspect

The Pessegueiro Island fortification features a star-shaped polygonal plan, characteristic of defensive constructions of its time. It was complemented by symmetrical triangular bastions at the vertices, designed to reinforce its defensive capability. Inside the structure, remnants of the buildings that housed the troop barracks and a chapel, dedicated to Santo Alberto, still exist. The fort was also surrounded by a moat, which accentuated its imposing presence and defensive function.

Built predominantly from ashlar and stone masonry, the fort integrates harmoniously into the island's rocky landscape, bearing witness to the military engineering of the period in which it was conceived. Although it stands in ruins, its structure still allows observation of the essential features of the original design.

Distant Past and Legends

Pessegueiro Island, where the fort stands, has a history of occupation that extends to periods long before its military construction. Evidence of human presence since the Iron Age has been discovered on the island. Furthermore, vestiges of Roman-era fish salting tanks reveal the island's importance as a fishing center in antiquity.

Associated with this location is a popular legend that contributes to its mystique. It is said that, in times past, North African pirates invaded the island, finding only a hermit who defended a chapel. After killing him and plundering the site, they threw an image of the Virgin into a bonfire. However, the people of Porto Covo, upon searching for the image, found it intact and undamaged, leading to its placement in another hermitage, which became known as the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Queimada.

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