Santiago da Barra Fortress

Viana do Castelo, Portugal

Located next to the sea, it is believed that the first fortification sited on the bar of the River Lima estuary dates from the reign of King Afonso III (13th century). However, the earliest certain date is the 15th century, when a fortress was built there that would have been completed in the following century, in the reign of King Manuel I. This is indicated by various Manueline architectural features, notably the 'Roqueta Tower' in the south-west bastion of the present fortress.

In the late 16th century, the fortress underwent a series of improvement works, having already been under Spanish domination in the reign of Philip II (Philip I of Portugal). And so the current fortress, with its polygonal floor plan, was built based on a design by Filippo de Terzi, the most famous architect of military buildings of that period.

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Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Portugal

More Information

www.visitportugal.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Liz T.D (5 years ago)
Worth a visit. Great structure steeped in 500 years of history. A little abounded but a bit of imagination goes a long way..
márcia duarte (5 years ago)
No words describe the beauty of this place att Neo Pop Festival!! Magic!!
Mikel Pérez Garmendia (5 years ago)
It was clean and a peaceful place to be
John Read (5 years ago)
Beautiful fortress but very little information
DIMITRIOS STAMATAKIS (5 years ago)
It's a walk to history. Is fantastic to walk the way of old knits.
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