Castles and Fortresses
Fortress of Santo António de Beliche, Vila do Bispo
The economic importance of the fishing rig (almadrava) located in the Beliche cove motivated the construction of a fortress whose main objective was to protect fishermen from attack by pirates and privateers.
The date of its construction is unknown, but in the 16th century the fortress of Santo António do Beliche was already in operation. It has a polygonal wall with a turret and several structures inside, including a chapel dedicated to Santa Catarina, with a cubic shape and topped by a dome, according to the typology of the morabites.
This fortress was seriously damaged by the corsair Francis Drake’s attack in 1587 and by the 1755 earthquake, having been deactivated in the 19th century and restored for tourism purposes in the 20th century.