Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • India
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. India
  3. 2021
  4. June 09
  5. Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort near Elvas, Portugal
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort near Elvas, Portugal

June 09, 2021

Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort near Elvas, Portugal

© Luis Pina Photography/Shutterstoc

A Portuguese fort takes a star turn

Perched on a strategic hillside, high above the hot, dry plains of eastern Portugal, the Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort has been called a masterpiece of 18th-century military architecture. The thick wall that surrounds the fortress is shaped in a star pattern, with pentagonal bastions jutting out from the curtain wall at the corners. We're looking at one of those bastions in the center of our image.

A stone's throw from the Spanish border, the Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort was built to defend the garrison border town of Elvas. It's a region shaped by war. The Spanish laid siege to the area during the Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668), but after the Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort was built a century later, the town was never defeated. With its 144 cannons, the fort resisted an attack by another wave of Spanish forces during the 1801 War of the Oranges and 10 years later drove back an invading French army during the Peninsular War.

Eventually, the fort became a political prison, which it remained until 1974 when it was abandoned and fell into ruin. But it was restored after 2012 when UNESCO recognised the entire historical centre of Elvas — including the Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort, a few other nearby forts, and the 16th-century Amoreira Aqueduct — as a World Heritage Site.

grass sky outdoor city cloud landscape building house castle railroad stone

Related Images

Donkeys in a valley near Rhyolite, Nevada, United StatesDonkeys in a valley near Rhyolite, Nevada, United States
Statue of Rabindranath Tagore at Rabindra Sarobar, West BengalStatue of Rabindranath Tagore at Rabindra Sarobar, West Bengal
Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern IrelandDunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Mysuru Palace, Mysuru, KarnatakaMysuru Palace, Mysuru, Karnataka
The Milky Way framed by Double Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, United StatesThe Milky Way framed by Double Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Bandra–Worli Sea Link, Mumbai, MaharashtraBandra–Worli Sea Link, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, CanadaBruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska, United StatesSpire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska, United States

Today on Bing

Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Bardenas, Navarra, Spain

Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Bardenas, Navarra, Spain

Jun 09, 2024
Hot air balloons in Cappadocia, Türkiye

Hot air balloons in Cappadocia, Türkiye

Jun 09, 2023
Sweetheart Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Sweetheart Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Jun 09, 2022
Baron Lake in the Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho

Baron Lake in the Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho

Jun 09, 2020
Jeep trail at Ranthambore National Park

Jeep trail at Ranthambore National Park

Jun 09, 2019

Related Tags

sky outdoor landscape cloud water tree grass building rock beach lake nature grassy day lush stone hillside astronomy mountain surrounded
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.