Fort of Pessegueiro or Fort of Our Lady of the Burnt, including the Fort of the Inner Island.

Category: Military Architecture > Fort

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

Location

- The Pessegueiro Fort and the Ilha de Dentro Fort are located on the Alentejo coast, on Pessegueiro beach, in Porto Covo, municipality of Sines, district of Setúbal.

- Both are integrated into the Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina Natural Park.

History

- The area has been occupied since antiquity, with traces of a Roman fishing center and salting tanks discovered on the island.

- The forts were built in the 16th century to protect the coast from attacks by pirates and corsairs.

- The initial project included connecting the island to the mainland via a stone pier, but it was never completed.

- The Forte da Ilha de Dentro (Santo Alberto Fort) was left unfinished, while the Forte do Pessegueiro (Nossa Senhora da Queimada Fort) was completed in 1690.

- They lost their military function in the 19th century and were used by the Fiscal Guard until 1942.

Current State

- Both forts have been classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1957.

- The Pessegueiro Fort is in a better state of conservation and is open to visitation.

- The Ilha de Dentro Fort is in ruins and at risk of collapse.

- There are plans to recover the forts and create an interpretation center for natural and archaeological heritage.

Characteristics

- The forts are built of sandstone, with a polygonal plan and triangular bastions.

- The Pessegueiro Fort has a moat, a wooden bridge, and dependencies such as barracks, chapel, and kitchen.

- The Ilha de Dentro Fort has a quadrangular plan with casemates and a chapel dedicated to Santo Alberto.

Visitation

- The Pessegueiro Fort can be visited, offering stunning views of the beach and the ocean.

- Pessegueiro Island and the Ilha de Dentro Fort are accessible by boat, but visiting the fort on the island is not recommended due to its state of disrepair.