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Castelo de São João Baptista do Monte Brasil
This castle, which was erected at the foot of Monte Brasil at the end of the 16th century on the order of Philip II of Spain (at the time also King of Portugal and the castle was named after him initially), is the largest Spanish fortress ever built outside Spain. In order to protect the treasures of the rich town and the precious cargos of the Spanish galleons, threefold ramparts with turrets and trenches were built on a length of more than 4 kilometres around the mountain. Within the castle’s boundaries are the small Capela de Santa Catarina de Sena, the Palace of the Governors of the castle and the Igreja de São João Baptista, the first church built by the Portuguese after 1645 when they had regained their power over the Portuguese crown. The church has an attractive Baroque façade, which is flanked by two bell-towers. Despite its extremely strong fortifications, in 1640, the castle did not resist the Portuguese independence fights and after a long and tiring state of siege, the fortress was forced to surrender, after which it received its present name. Having always been the centre of the conflicts between the absolutists and the liberals, it was this fortress where the blue-and-white flag, Portugal’s symbol of independence, was hoisted for the first time. Today occupied by the Portuguese army, providing headquarters and soldier accommodations, the fortress São João Baptista constitutes one of Portugal’s most impressive monuments from the 16th century.
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