The Fortress of São Filipe is a star-shaped fortress on a hill west of the city of Setúbal, above the mouth of the Sado, begun in 1582 in the presence of King Filipe I of Portugal. The fortress lies inside the Arrábida Natural Park and is a National Monument since 1933.
Its chapel is lined with blue and white tiles signed by Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes in 1736.
What to see at the Fortress of São Filipe
- Walls and bastions: an irregular plan in the shape of a star, with bastions that follow the slope of the hill down towards the river.
- Chapel of São Filipe: a small rectangular chapel under a barrel vault, whose walls and vault are covered in tiles showing scenes from the life of Saint Philip, with Marian panels of 1736 in the chancel.
- Lower battery: a trapezoid bastion that extends towards the water, added in the 17th century.
- View: the walls look over the city of Setúbal, the Sado estuary, the Tróia peninsula and the Serra da Arrábida.
History of the Fortress of São Filipe
- 1582: King Filipe I of Portugal attends the laying of the first stone of the new fortress, designed by the Italian military engineer Filippo Terzi.
- 1600: the Italian engineer Leonardo Torriani, who succeeded Terzi, completes the works.
- 1649 to 1655: after the restoration of independence, the military governor João de Saldanha adds the lower battery.
- 1736: Policarpo de Oliveira Bernardes signs the tile panels of the chapel.
- 1868: a fire destroys the governor's house inside the fortress.
- 1933: the fortress is classified as a National Monument.
- 1965: a pousada opens inside the fortress, after its inclusion in the Pousadas de Portugal programme in 1954.
Visiting the Fortress of São Filipe
- Location: the fortress is reached by the road that leaves the western end of Setúbal towards the Serra da Arrábida.
- Visits: the walls, the chapel and a café with a terrace are open to visitors.
Places to visit in Setúbal
Setúbal, Portugal
Arrábida & Setúbal
Arrábida & Setúbal
Azeitão
Convent of Jesus
Convent of Jesus
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Fortress of São Filipe
Convent of Arrábida
Convent of Arrábida
Livramento Market
Livramento Market
Sado Estuary Nature Reserve
Sado Estuary Nature Reserve
History of Setúbal
History of Setúbal
Visiting Setúbal