Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça

On Monte de Nossa Senhora da Graça, north of Elvas, the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Graça rises on one of the most strategic points in the region. The site had already shown its importance during the siege of 1658-1659 and became decisive again in the Seven Years’ War. In 1763, King José I ordered the construction of a fortress there to complete the city’s defence, with planning associated with Wilhelm, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe. The works continued until 1792. The fort is organised in successive defensive lines, with outer works, dry moats, bastions, ravelins and a central redoubt with an octagonal plan. This core contains the chapel, the Governor’s House and, beneath the chapel, a cistern. Also known as the Fort of Lippe, it was classified as a National Monument in 1910 and has formed part, since 2012, of the Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.