S. Jorge de Oitavos Fort
NOTICE | Temporarily closed to the public
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Located halfway between the Guia promontory and Cabo Raso is the São Jorge Fort, initially also known as the Oitavos bastion because it was near the hill of the same name – now called Oitavos – where a watchtower once stood.
Built between 1642 and 1648, its polygonal plan with five unequal sides, resting on the cliff, is a prime example of adaptation to the terrain.
On December 21, 1974, it was classified as a Property of Public Interest and in 1999 it was ceded by the Directorate-General of State Heritage to the Cascais Municipal Council, with the aim of its recovery, safeguarding and enhancement.
It opened to the public in 2001 as a museum space, serving the cultural interest.
Within the fortified area, the building that housed the barracks, the powder house, the warehouses, and the kitchens now presents an exhibition, organized into two sections, that integrates the Fort of São Jorge de Oitavos into the advanced military defense system of the Tagus estuary and reveals aspects of its functional organization and experiences in times of war and peace.
Section I
- The defensive line of the Tagus estuary, the fortifications of Cascais, and the Fort of São Jorge
- Evocation of the construction of the defensive apparatus of the oceanic mouth of Lisbon and surrounding territories, presenting the most significant historical moments of this process regarding the maritime fortifications of Cascais, from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
- The second part of this section focuses on the history of the Fort of São Jorge, in a record of memory, in parallel with contemporary national events.
Section II
- Artillery and Garrison at the end of the 18th century
- This room addresses the themes of artillery and garrisons, using replicas of uniforms and instruments that were used in the powder magazine and in the service of the cannons, corresponding to a "time capsule", situated between the 1760s and the French Invasions.
Closed on Mondays | Easter Sunday | May 1st | Christmas Day | New Year's Day
More information: Tel: (351) 214 815 380 | forte.oitavos@cm-cascais.pt
