Forte de Santa Luzia

Fort Santa Luzia is located in Alentejo, in the city of Elvas, district of Portalegre, in Portugal.

The Santa Luzia Fort has been classified as a National Monument since 1940. Together with Fort Piedade, Fort São Francisco, Fort São Mamede and Fort São Pedro, it was part of the defense of the stronghold of Elvas and is part of the complex of the "Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications" classified since June 30, 2012 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Repeatedly besieged during the War of Restoration of Independence, it was during the siege of the city of Elvas, led by the Spanish commander Don Luis de Haro in 1658, that the fort stood out for its defenders heroic resistance. The siege of 1658 preceded the Battle of the Lines of Elvas on 14 January 1659.

Text adapted from “Fort Santa Luzia” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Forte de Santa Luzia ranks #3,490 of 5,479 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #58 of the 132 mapped in Portugal. Founded 1648, it is older than 30% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 350 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. See how Portugal compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗