Category: Civil Architecture > Ensemble
District: Viana do Castelo > Vila Nova de Cerveira > Vila Nova de Cerveira e Lovelhe > Lovelhe
The Lobelhe Fort and Archaeological Station is located in Lovelhe, an integral part of Vila Nova de Cerveira and Lovelhe, in the municipality of Vila Nova de Cerveira. This site is strategically positioned very close to the bank of the Minho River, at a point where its crossing was historically possible. Its location offers a perspective on the riparian landscape and the surrounding territory, highlighting its defensive importance over time.
This heritage complex, classified as a Site of Public Interest, comprises a fortress and a vast archaeological area. Lobelhe Fort, also known as São Francisco de Lovelhe Fort, was built in the 17th century, in the context of the War of Restoration. Its construction, initiated in 1642 and completed in 1663, was part of the Minho defensive line, with the purpose of protecting the left bank of the river and the coastal area adjacent to its mouth. Its design followed the patterns of military architecture of the time, with a pentagonal plan and bastions, typical elements of fortifications intended to resist attacks.
Throughout its existence, the fort had a history of sometimes intermittent military use, but it played a significant role at key moments. One of the most notable episodes occurred in 1809, during the Second French Invasion. Despite being lightly armed, the decisive action of the fort governor's wife, Dona Ana do Nascimento Ferreira de Magalhães, known as "a Resina," was crucial. With a single piece of artillery, she managed to intercept French forces attempting to cross the river, hitting a crucial point and sinking enemy vessels. In retaliation for this resistance, the French troops, once on Portuguese territory, destroyed the fort by detonating gunpowder in its chapel. This event left the fort in ruins, and its full recovery never materialized.
What makes this site particularly relevant, beyond the 17th-century fortress, is the archaeological richness of the place. Investigations and excavations carried out since the 1980s have revealed several layers of human occupation prior to the fort's construction. At the same location, remains dating back to an Iron Age habitat, a Roman villa, and even a medieval church have been identified. This superposition of eras gives the Lobelhe Fort and Archaeological Station exceptional value, testifying to centuries of history and human presence in the region.
Despite the damage suffered over time and decades of abandonment, the fort's ruins still allow its original structure to be observed. Visitors can discern the pentagonal plan with its five bastions, built of well-dressed granite masonry. The walls, of considerable thickness, indicate the robustness the fortification must have had. Although the main gate and the sentry boxes that once crowned the bastions are no longer intact, the dry moat that surrounded the exterior of the fortress, and the remains of the interior buildings, such as the chapel and barracks, give an idea of its complexity and original function. The site invites close observation of the visible marks of the past.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.952222,-8.739028
Coordinates DMS: 41°57'8.0"N 08°44'20.5"W
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