Two years after work finished on the fortress of São Francisco (1664), General Andrade e Sousa began work to the north of the city on a new fortress, separate from the defensive system of Chaves. Equally inspired by the defensive designs of the period, it has a similar appearance to the Fortress of São Francisco, and was used as an advance defense for the city against attacks by the Spanish. Inside is the chapel of Nossa Senhora das Brotas, where a religious festival is held each year. It was still in use by the army until quite recently, and welcomed numerous refugees from the Spanish Civil War.

Comments are closed.