| Citadel of Cascais | |
|---|---|
Cidadela de Cascais | |
| Cascais,Lisbon District,Portugal | |
 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Bastion fort |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Restored, with areas converted to a hotel and an Arts Centre (Cidadela Art District) |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 38°41′36″N9°25′11″W / 38.69333°N 9.41972°W /38.69333; -9.41972 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1488-; 1594- ;1648- |
| In use | To the present |
| Materials | Basalt |
TheCitadel ofCascais is a set of fortifications built between the 15th and 17th centuries to defend theCascais coastline andRiver Tagus estuary and to protect against attacks on the capital ofPortugal,Lisbon. The citadel incorporates three separate developments, the tower of Santo António de Cascais, the Fortress of Our Lady of Light (Nossa Senhora da Luz de Cascais), and the former Royal Palace area. It serves as an official summer residence for thePresident of Portugal.
The first construction of a fort on the site was between 1410 and 1415. Improvements to this were deemed necessary as the Cascais Bay was constantly threatened by the English. In 1488 a medieval-style tower at the tip of the Point of Salmodo, to the southwest of the Bay, was begun under the orders of KingJohn II of Portugal. The fort, known as theTorre de Santo António de Cascais, was designed to share, with artillery ships and two other fortresses, resistance to possible military attack on Lisbon. The other forts were theBelém Tower and theFort of São Sebastião de Caparica, which are approximately opposite each other on theRiver Tagus closer to Lisbon. Construction of the fort ofNossa Senhora da Luz de Cascais was ordered byPhilip I to provide further reinforcements. It began in 1594, designed by an Italian, Captain Fratino, following an unusual triangular design that took advantage of the existing Torre de Santo António de Cascais, which is incorporated as one of three bastions built into the Citadel. The fortress had an interior courtyard that allowed communication between the three bastions and access to thebatteries, barracks and cisterns. Reinforcement and enlargement of the Citadel was subsequently carried out around 1648, under the control ofJohn IV. The structure underwent further modifications and repairs until 1755, when it suffered considerable damage as a result of theLisbon earthquake.[1][2][3]
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In the nineteenth century,Luís I of Portugal ordered the adaptation of the citadel to become a place of rest and retreat for the royal family and nobility and theroyal palace area (now a museum) was constructed.[2] Until the regicide ofCarlos I in 1908, the royal family spent the months of September and October in Cascais.[4] This led to the growth of Cascais as an important location for affluent people from Lisbon to spend the summer. In 1878 the complex was equipped with the first electric lights in Portugal. Through a Decree in 1977, the complex was classified as Property of Public Interest. Since then it has been restored and incorporated into the modern design of the surrounding areas, providing an impressive backdrop for the new Cascais Marina. A hotel has been built into the Citadel buildings, which also now house an Arts Centre (Cidadela Arts District).
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