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GPS 38.47379519941667, -8.982864240344812

The Fort of Santa Maria da Arrábida, also referred to as Fort of Nossa Senhora da Arrábida, Fort of Arrábida and Fort of Portinho da Arrábida, is located at the foot of the southern slope of Serra da Arrábida, in a dominant position southwest of Portinho da Arrábida, on the north coast west of the mouth of the river Sado, in the Municipality and District of Setúbal, Portugal.

It complements the set of 18th-century fortifications that, erected in the context of the war to restore Portugal's independence, stretched along the coast from Setúbal to the Fort of São Domingos da Baralha, near Cape Espichel.

It currently houses the Oceanographic Museum.

The Fort of Santa Maria da Arrábida has been classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1977.

Devotion to Our Lady of Arrábida The site took on religious dimensions from 1250 onwards, when, according to tradition, Hildebrando, a merchant from the British Isles, erected a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady, in thanksgiving for the miracle that saved him there from a shipwreck.

In the first half of the 16th century, between 1539 and 1542, D. João de Lencastre (1501-1571), 1st Duke of Aveiro, had the primitive convent erected, donated to the Spanish Franciscan Friar Martinho de Santa Maria, who wanted to live there as a hermit. Construction work continued between the second half of the 16th century and the first half of the 17th century, thanks to the devotion of the 2nd and 3rd Dukes of Aveiro, to whom the inn and stations of Passos da Paixão, and that of the daughter-in-law of the 3rd Duke, are due. In the middle of the 17th century, the 4th Duke of Aveiro promoted the construction of the chapel of Bom Jesus.

In the 19th century, with the extinction of religious orders in Portugal, the Convent's facilities were abandoned by the Franciscan friars (1834), being acquired by the Dukes of Palmela (1863). At the end of the 20th century, they were acquired by Fundação Oriente (1990), which reclassified them as a cultural space.

The fortification

Ending the complete remodeling of the kingdom's defensive strategy implemented from the reign of D. João IV (1640-1656), comprising the defense of the Setúbal bar, this maritime fortification was only started between 1670 and 1676, under the reign of D. Pedro II (1667-1706), with the function of defending the so-called port and the Convent of Arrábida, a pilgrimage destination. His works were entirely redone under King João V (1706-1750), to be concluded in 1749, according to the epigraphic inscription on a tombstone over the Arms Gate:

"Governing these kingdoms and lordships of Portugal, the very high and powerful Prince D. Pedro, Nosso Senhor, by the Marquis of Fronteira, of the War Council, his Gentil-Homem da Câmara, overseer of his Treasury, Master of Campo General da Corte, Estremadura, Cascaes and Setúbal, ordered this fortress to be built to defend this port and bar of Arrábida and its seas in the year 1676. new and ended up in MDCCXLIX." Rebuilt at the end of the 18th century (1798), it was in operation until the reign of D. Luís (1861-1889), when, given the loss of its defensive function due to the evolution of war means and the abandonment of the Convent's facilities, it was deactivated.

At the beginning of the 20th century, it was leased to a private individual. From 1932 it was adapted to serve as an inn by Sebastião da Gama's parents, which it held until 1976.

From 1978, the property became part of the Arrábida Natural Park, becoming a Public Interest Property. Since then, extensive consolidation and restoration works have been carried out, adapting the monument to the role of Oceanographic Museum (1991), which maintains a marine biology center on site. A small shop sells items related to the park's protected area and offers visitors coffee.

Characteristics

A small maritime fort, it has an organic polygonal plan, with a hexagonal earthen battery and four parapets on the sea side. The service facilities are currently reclassified as exhibition, aquarium and video rooms.

In its chapel, an expressive image of Our Lady can be seen, in lias stone, from the 17th century.