The Fort of São Teodósio da Ponta do Cavalo is a coastal fort located in a dominant position at the extreme west of the Bay of

Sesimbra Sesimbra () is a municipality of Portugal, in the Setúbal District, lying at the foothills of the ''Serra da Arrábida'', a mountain range between Setúbal and Sesimbra. Due to its particular position at the Península de Setúbal, Setúbal Bay, ...

in the

Setúbal District The District of Setúbal ( ) is a district located in the south-west of Portugal. It is named for its capital, the city of Setúbal. Geography It is delimited by Lisbon District and Santarém District on the north, Évora District on the eas ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. It was built between 1648 and 1652.

History

During the period of the

Portuguese Restoration War The Restoration War (), historically known as the Acclamation War (''Guerra da Aclamação''), was the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668, bringing a forma ...

(1640-68), King John IV undertook a project to modernize the coastal defences of the country. This included the remodelling of existing fortresses and reinforcing their firepower, together with the construction of new fortresses located in strategic positions. The Fort of São Teodósio was part of the defensive line of the stretch of coast, known today as the ''Costa Azul'' (Blue Coast), stretching from

Albarquel Albarquel Beach (Praia de Albarquel) is a beach located in Setúbal, Portugal 30km southeast of Lisbon. The beach is on a bay overlooking the Tróia Peninsula and the city. The area is suitable for swimming, boating, windsurfing, and kitesurfing ...

to Sesimbra, which was designed to assist with the defence of the important maritime settlement of

Setúbal Setúbal ( , , ; ), officially the City of Setúbal (), is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the entire municipality in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies withi ...

. The fort was named in honour of the Crown Prince, Dom

Teodósio, Prince of Brazil '' Dom'' Teodósio, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (''Teodósio de Bragança''; ; 8 February 1634 – 15 May 1653) was the eldest son of John IV of Portugal and heir apparent to the Portuguese throne from 1640 until his death. In 1645, h ...

. It was executed by the military engineer Sebastião Pereira de Frias. Built in the

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

style from stone and brick, it has an irregular polygonal plan, with two square bastions and a circular tower in the centre. The fortification was badly damaged by the earthquake in 1755 but never lost its strategic importance. In the 19th century it was garrisoned at the time of the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

, during the first French invasion led by General Junot (1807-08). Abandoned by troops in 1822, it was again used during the

Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War () and the War of the Two Brothers () was a civil war in Portugal that lasted from May 1828 to May 1834, fought between liberal progressive constitutionalists (led by former King P ...

(1828-34), but fell into disrepair thereafter. In 1895 a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

was installed inside the fort. In the twentieth century, the original layout of the fort was altered to accommodate construction of a harbour and its access road. It is now occupied by the Portuguese Navy, which is also responsible for managing the lighthouse. Visits are not possible.

References

{{Bastion forts in Portugal, state=collapsed São Teodósio da Ponta do Cavalo Buildings and structures in Setúbal District Coastal fortifications in Portugal