Fortaleza da Praia da Luz
| Fortaleza da Praia da Luz | ||
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 View of the south wall of the fortress |
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| Alternative name (s): | Forte da Praia da Luz, Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Luz, Castelo da Senhora da Luz | |
| Creation time : | between 1640 and 1670 | |
| Conservation status: | Preserved essential parts | |
| Place: | Luz | |
| Geographical location | 37 ° 5 '6.4 " N , 8 ° 43' 49.7" W | |
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The Fortaleza da Praia da Luz ( Portuguese , literally for fortress of the beach of light ) is a fortress on the south coast of the Algarve ( Portugal ). Other names are Forte da Praia da Luz , Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Luz or Castelo da Senhora da Luz .
location
The fortress is located in the freguesia Luz on the south coast of Portugal . It rises to the west of Praia da Luz on a cliff that protrudes a little into the bay. Immediately to the northeast of it is the church of Luz.
history
The fortress in its current form was built during the War of Restoration when Portugal fought for independence from Spain. It is not scientifically clear whether it was built on the remains of a medieval castle or a fortress built in 1575, of which hardly any traces can be found. It is certain, however, that the Spaniards conquered the coastline in 1624 and built a round tower on the spot. From 1640 onwards, Johann IV began building a fortress, which was completed in 1670. It was part of a line of fortifications along the Algarve coast (including Forte da Ponta da Bandeira , Fortaleza de Belixe , Forte da Meia Praia ) that were supposed to protect the coast, but above all the bay and port of Lagos.
Due to the lost military importance, the fortress was auctioned in 1984 and acquired by the Mayor of Lagos, Marreiros Neto, who made it a private residence. The site was classified as a property of public interest by Decree No. 129/77 published in Diário da República , Series I, No. 226 of September 29, 1977
construction
The fortress covers an area of approx. 200 m² and has a polygonal structure of an irregular square with a bastion at each of the four corners , which gives the structure a star-shaped appearance.
Todays use
Today the Fortaleza is privately owned and used for tourism. It houses a restaurant and is surrounded by a small garden.
Web links
- Fortaleza da Praia da Luz on fortalezas.org
- Castelo da Senhora da Luz / Fortaleza de Nossa senhora da Luz on Monumentos.pt, the website of the Portuguese monument authority
- Castelo da Senhora da Luz on www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt
literature
- João de Almeida: Roteiro dos monumentos militares Portugueses , Vol. 3, Lisbon 1948.
- Valdemar Coutinho: Castelos, fortalezas e torres da região do Algarve , Faro 1997.
- Valdemar Coutinho: Dinâmica defensiva da costa do Algarve. Thu período islâmico ao século XVIII , Portimão 2001.
- Catarina Glória Guerreiro: A história da minha terra, Nossa Senhora da Luz , Lagos, 1991.
- João Baptista da Silva Lopes, Corografia. Ou Memoria economica, estadistica, e topografica do Reino do Algarve , Lisbon 1841.