Forte de Santiago da Barra

Castle in Viana do Castelo

Santiago Da Barra Fortress In Viana Do Castelo
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Krzysztof Golik

The first fortification to be built on the sandbar of the River Lima estuary is believed to have been established during the reign of King Afonso III in the 13th century. However, the earliest confirmed date of a fortress at this location is in the 15th century when construction of a fortress began. The construction was completed in the following century during the reign of King Manuel I, as indicated by various Manueline architectural features, including the “Roqueta Tower” located in the south-west bastion of the current fortress.

In the late 16th century, the fortress underwent significant improvement works while under Spanish domination during the reign of Philip II (Philip I of Portugal). The current fortress, which features a polygonal floor plan, was designed by Filippo de Terzi, the most renowned architect of military buildings during that time.

The Forte de Santiago da Barra appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Viana do Castelo!

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Visiting Forte de Santiago da Barra

Hours:

From Monday to Friday: 9 am – 12:30 pm / 2 pm – 5:30 pm


Address: Forte de Santiago da Barra, Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Duration: 30 minutes

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