Fort of Santa Cruz (Horta)
Encyclopedia
Fort of Santa Cruz is a 16th century fortification
located in the civil parish of Angústias
, municipality of Horta
, on the island of Faial
in the Portuguese
Azores
. Occasionally referred to as the Castelo de Santa Cruz by locals, it is situated in the historic centre of the city, on the edge of Horta Bay. It was constructed to work in conjunction with the Fort of Bom Jesus at the mouth of the Ribeira da Conceição and Fort of Greta
along the coast of the extinct spatter cone Monte da Guia, to defend the entrance to the harbour and southern access to the Bay.
s, attracted by the riches of the ships returning from Africa, India and Brazil, began in the middle of the 16th century by the military engineer Bartolomeu Ferraz. In his plan to the Portuguese Crown, Ferraz warned of the vulnerability of the islands of São Miguel
, Terceira, São Jorge, Faial
and Pico
to pirate attacks or Protestant military forces. His plan justified the need to improve the security conditions at the ports and protect ships in Azorean waters:
During the reigns of Kings John III
(1521-1557) and Sebastian
(1568-1578), along with new regiments sent to the region, military architect Tommaso Benedetto was sent to reformulate the defenses (in 1567), during the regency of Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal. Benedetto understood that with a determined maritime force, the defense of the islands could be concentrated at ports and anchorages, by the local population and under the responsibility of the municipal authorities.
Primitively referred to as the Forte de Santo António (partly because of the chapel located within its walls), the fort that would be known as Santa Cruz, was planned-out during Benedetto's visit in 1567, which also included the stationing of an artillery company on its grounds. Its construction was unlikely to have taken long: in fact, a Royal order for the director of Public Works, Luís Gonçalves, obligated him to visit the islands of Faial and São Jorge to get those projects completed.
Subordinate to the administrative authority of Terceira, Horta was ever fearful of attacks; the Battle of Salga
(1581), led the military to strengthen the fortifications along the coast of Faial, repairing existing defences and constructing new battlements. During the Iberian Union
crisis (1583), Santa Cruz defended Horta from a Spanish armada under the command of Pedro de Toledo, who disembarked in the nearby village of Pasteleiro. After marching from their beachhead to the village of Horta, the Spaniards attacked and defeated the regiment, eventually capturing and executing the Captain-major António Guedes de Sousa at the doors of the fort. The Spanish garrison was recalled to Terceira, when the local population complained that they could not support nor lodge the occupying armada. Ironically, this was a regrettable decision: on 6 September 1589 an English fleet, under the command of George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland
, arrived in Horta harbour, captured a carrack
from India and seven other ships at the port, and attacked the village, sacking the buildings and forcing the residents to flee into the interior. When they attacked the fort, the building was defended by seven soldiers, the vicar
and captains Gaspar Dutra, Tomás Porrás, Domingos Fernandes and João Francisco. The privateers took all the artillery pieces that they encountered on the island (except two that they did not find in Porto Pim) and burned down buildings within the fort. Repaired, but with insufficient artillery, the military regiment could do little but prevent ships from off-loading their forces. This was the case in August 1597, when Walter Raleigh
and his men attacked, sacked and set the village of Horta aflame, during the campaigns of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
.
After 1650, and until the second half of the 20th century, the fort served to house and garrison a small number of troops from the Horta garrison.
At the time John Bass Dabney arrived in 1805, the fort extended into the harbour, and along side, the fishermen (when not out with their boats) use to gather on the small quay to gossip. As U.S. Counsel General to the Western Islands, Dabney was there and participated covertly in the events leading to the destruction of the U.S. privateer General Armstrong in the Bay of Horta by British ships during the War of 1812
. Dabney suggested to its captain that the Armstrong should hover within the guns of the "castle", intent on coercing the Portugese in the fort to break neutrality and fire on the British in defense. Regardless, after an initial assault by 14 British longboats, the British ship H.M.S. Carnation fired on, then her men set flame to the Armstrong as its crew abandoned ship to their enemy. During the course of the battles houses were damaged in Horta, and people killed or injured. The legal implications of the events extended for 36 years: the ships owners, upon not obtaining reparations for the sinking of the Armstrong turned to Portugal, who they believed, that the military in the Fort of Santa Cruz should have defended, since the ship was in a supposedly safe, neutral harbour. Considering the age and condition of the fortress at this time, it was highly unlikely and futile.
During the Portuguese Liberal Revolution (1821), the residents of Faial were hesitant to rebel (given the reign of terror on Terceira, where Governor Stockler annulled changes, demanded an oath to the King and arresting liberal). A month later (May 12) when British ships arrived, its officers were permitted to visit the local Governor and, with a group of prominent citizens, was convinced to adopt the liberal system: cheering in the streets were accompanied by salvos from the Fort. The fort was later taken by the forces loyal to Peter IV, as his regency attempted to take the Azores as a stepping stone to retake the throne from his absolutist brother Miguel
.
In 1927 the fort's title was transferred to the Câmara Municipal of Horta, where it was to be demolished in order to make way for the litoral avenue, then in the planning stages. But, the lack of funds impeded this project and the fort was spared from demolition.
By decree, the fort was classified as a national monument (No.36383) on 28 June 1947.
Much later, the building was re-purposed as part of the network of Pousadas de Portugal
, a project of the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) (General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments), officially re-opened as a hostel
on 9 August 1969, and designed by architect Alberto Cruz. Critics at the time found that this project, which involved the construction of rooms for visitors, lounge and services, destroyed the existing historical structure: only the defensive exterior walls and chapel remained intact. The 20th century remodelling and renovation, at a cost of 3.9 thousand Euros was completed by Enatur and Grupo Pestana Pousadas. On 18 June 2004, the Pousada began to operate under the "Pousadas de Charme" designation, followed on 23 September by the official inauguration, presented by the Minister of Tourism, Telmo Correia. Since its re-purposing the Fort has been referred to locally as the Pousada de Santa Cruz, Pousada de Horta or Estalagem de Santa Cruz.
wharf
). The principal entrance, localized on the land (to the west) fronts Rua Vasco da Gama (Regional E.R.1-1ª), is marked by a large portal with coat-of-arms. Another access, but of more recent construction, is located along the side facing the harbour: a narrow doorway with rounded corridor that bisects the walls and opens to the fort's esplanade.
The pentagonal-shape bastion fortress, with an area of 3650 metres, was constructed of basalt
rock and tuff
(the latter primary in the construction of the battlement
s and bartizan
s. While two bartizans and one bastion guards access to the sea, two bastion
s on the extreme corners (northwest and southwest) are oriented towards the land to protect overland invasions.
The original plan included a baluarte structures and several dependent buildings: commander's house, barracks
, gunpowder magazine
, storehouses, bastille
and kitchen.
At its maximum effectiveness, the fort included 20 pieces of artillery and had banquette
s to support a garrison of Fusilier
s.
The Chapel of Santo António
, located along the southern wall of the fort, the chapel is a simple semi-rectangular building constructed of basalt and painted in white (with the exception of the stone cornice
s, the door- and window-frames and base). The Chapel of Santo António was built in order to support the local garrison: its interior, although simple, was covered in artistic azulejo
tile.
After its remodelling, the pousada included 28 rooms and two suites, restaurant with esplanade
, bar, conference and reading room (in addition to pool) was created from the main garrison's barracks.
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
located in the civil parish of Angústias
Angústias
Angústias is one of the three civil parishes that form the city of Horta, on the island of Faial in the archipelago of the Azores. This is an economically active, densely-populated area with the second-smallest area , but with the largest population in the municipality of Horta...
, municipality of Horta
Horta (Azores)
Horta is a single municipality and city in the western part of the Archipealgo of the Azores, encompassing the island of Faial. Horta has a population of about approximately 15,038 people and an area of 173.1 square kilometers. The population density is about 88 persons per square kilometer...
, on the island of Faial
Faial Island
Faial Island , also known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese island of the Central Group of the Azores....
in the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. Occasionally referred to as the Castelo de Santa Cruz by locals, it is situated in the historic centre of the city, on the edge of Horta Bay. It was constructed to work in conjunction with the Fort of Bom Jesus at the mouth of the Ribeira da Conceição and Fort of Greta
Fort of Greta (Horta)
The Fort of Greta is a medieval fortification, whose remnants are located on the cinder cone of Monte da Guia, along the southern coast of the civil parish of Angústias, in Horta, island of...
along the coast of the extinct spatter cone Monte da Guia, to defend the entrance to the harbour and southern access to the Bay.
History
A study of the defensive conditions of the archipelago of the Azores, from pirates and privateerPrivateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s, attracted by the riches of the ships returning from Africa, India and Brazil, began in the middle of the 16th century by the military engineer Bartolomeu Ferraz. In his plan to the Portuguese Crown, Ferraz warned of the vulnerability of the islands of São Miguel
São Miguel Island
São Miguel Island , nicknamed "The Green Island", is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese Azores archipelago. The island covers and has around 140,000 inhabitants, 45,000 of these people located in the largest city in the archipelago: Ponta Delgada.-History:In 1427, São Miguel...
, Terceira, São Jorge, Faial
Faial Island
Faial Island , also known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese island of the Central Group of the Azores....
and Pico
Pico Island
Pico Island , is an island in the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores noted for its eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge...
to pirate attacks or Protestant military forces. His plan justified the need to improve the security conditions at the ports and protect ships in Azorean waters:
- "... because the three islands import a lot...and [for they] principally aid the carrackCarrackA carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
s from India and [because] the French against reason, justly or injustly, take everything they can..."
During the reigns of Kings John III
John III of Portugal
John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...
(1521-1557) and Sebastian
Sebastian of Portugal
Sebastian "the Desired" was the 16th king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain...
(1568-1578), along with new regiments sent to the region, military architect Tommaso Benedetto was sent to reformulate the defenses (in 1567), during the regency of Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal. Benedetto understood that with a determined maritime force, the defense of the islands could be concentrated at ports and anchorages, by the local population and under the responsibility of the municipal authorities.
Primitively referred to as the Forte de Santo António (partly because of the chapel located within its walls), the fort that would be known as Santa Cruz, was planned-out during Benedetto's visit in 1567, which also included the stationing of an artillery company on its grounds. Its construction was unlikely to have taken long: in fact, a Royal order for the director of Public Works, Luís Gonçalves, obligated him to visit the islands of Faial and São Jorge to get those projects completed.
Subordinate to the administrative authority of Terceira, Horta was ever fearful of attacks; the Battle of Salga
Battle of Salga
The Battle of Salga occurred on 25 July 1581, along the Bay of Salga and around the coastal part of the parish of Vila de São Sebastião, island of Terceira in the Portuguese Azores, between Spanish and Portuguese forces...
(1581), led the military to strengthen the fortifications along the coast of Faial, repairing existing defences and constructing new battlements. During the Iberian Union
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
crisis (1583), Santa Cruz defended Horta from a Spanish armada under the command of Pedro de Toledo, who disembarked in the nearby village of Pasteleiro. After marching from their beachhead to the village of Horta, the Spaniards attacked and defeated the regiment, eventually capturing and executing the Captain-major António Guedes de Sousa at the doors of the fort. The Spanish garrison was recalled to Terceira, when the local population complained that they could not support nor lodge the occupying armada. Ironically, this was a regrettable decision: on 6 September 1589 an English fleet, under the command of George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland
George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland
Sir George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland, KG was an English peer, as well as a naval commander and courtier in the court of Queen Elizabeth I.-Background:...
, arrived in Horta harbour, captured a carrack
Carrack
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
from India and seven other ships at the port, and attacked the village, sacking the buildings and forcing the residents to flee into the interior. When they attacked the fort, the building was defended by seven soldiers, the vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
and captains Gaspar Dutra, Tomás Porrás, Domingos Fernandes and João Francisco. The privateers took all the artillery pieces that they encountered on the island (except two that they did not find in Porto Pim) and burned down buildings within the fort. Repaired, but with insufficient artillery, the military regiment could do little but prevent ships from off-loading their forces. This was the case in August 1597, when Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
and his men attacked, sacked and set the village of Horta aflame, during the campaigns of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
.
After 1650, and until the second half of the 20th century, the fort served to house and garrison a small number of troops from the Horta garrison.
At the time John Bass Dabney arrived in 1805, the fort extended into the harbour, and along side, the fishermen (when not out with their boats) use to gather on the small quay to gossip. As U.S. Counsel General to the Western Islands, Dabney was there and participated covertly in the events leading to the destruction of the U.S. privateer General Armstrong in the Bay of Horta by British ships during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Dabney suggested to its captain that the Armstrong should hover within the guns of the "castle", intent on coercing the Portugese in the fort to break neutrality and fire on the British in defense. Regardless, after an initial assault by 14 British longboats, the British ship H.M.S. Carnation fired on, then her men set flame to the Armstrong as its crew abandoned ship to their enemy. During the course of the battles houses were damaged in Horta, and people killed or injured. The legal implications of the events extended for 36 years: the ships owners, upon not obtaining reparations for the sinking of the Armstrong turned to Portugal, who they believed, that the military in the Fort of Santa Cruz should have defended, since the ship was in a supposedly safe, neutral harbour. Considering the age and condition of the fortress at this time, it was highly unlikely and futile.
During the Portuguese Liberal Revolution (1821), the residents of Faial were hesitant to rebel (given the reign of terror on Terceira, where Governor Stockler annulled changes, demanded an oath to the King and arresting liberal). A month later (May 12) when British ships arrived, its officers were permitted to visit the local Governor and, with a group of prominent citizens, was convinced to adopt the liberal system: cheering in the streets were accompanied by salvos from the Fort. The fort was later taken by the forces loyal to Peter IV, as his regency attempted to take the Azores as a stepping stone to retake the throne from his absolutist brother Miguel
Miguel of Portugal
Dom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
.
In 1927 the fort's title was transferred to the Câmara Municipal of Horta, where it was to be demolished in order to make way for the litoral avenue, then in the planning stages. But, the lack of funds impeded this project and the fort was spared from demolition.
By decree, the fort was classified as a national monument (No.36383) on 28 June 1947.
Much later, the building was re-purposed as part of the network of Pousadas de Portugal
Pousadas de Portugal
Pousadas de Portugal is a chain of luxury, traditional or historical hotels in Portugal. Formerly run by the state, they are now run by the Pestana group, which in September 2003 won a public bid for the sale of 37.6% of mother company Enatur and for a 40-year running concession...
, a project of the Direcção-Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) (General-Directorate for Buildings and National Monuments), officially re-opened as a hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
on 9 August 1969, and designed by architect Alberto Cruz. Critics at the time found that this project, which involved the construction of rooms for visitors, lounge and services, destroyed the existing historical structure: only the defensive exterior walls and chapel remained intact. The 20th century remodelling and renovation, at a cost of 3.9 thousand Euros was completed by Enatur and Grupo Pestana Pousadas. On 18 June 2004, the Pousada began to operate under the "Pousadas de Charme" designation, followed on 23 September by the official inauguration, presented by the Minister of Tourism, Telmo Correia. Since its re-purposing the Fort has been referred to locally as the Pousada de Santa Cruz, Pousada de Horta or Estalagem de Santa Cruz.
Architecture
Originally, the fort was anchored on a rocky shoreline that extended into the harbour and surrounded by a narrow strip of beach sand on either side, with a small dock on its southern lateral wall (called theCais da Alfândega, or CustomsCustoms
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
). The principal entrance, localized on the land (to the west) fronts Rua Vasco da Gama (Regional E.R.1-1ª), is marked by a large portal with coat-of-arms. Another access, but of more recent construction, is located along the side facing the harbour: a narrow doorway with rounded corridor that bisects the walls and opens to the fort's esplanade.
The pentagonal-shape bastion fortress, with an area of 3650 metres, was constructed of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
rock and tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
(the latter primary in the construction of the battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
s and bartizan
Bartizan
A bartizan or guerite is an overhanging, wall-mounted turret projecting from the walls of medieval fortifications from the early 14th century up to the 16th century. They protect a warder and enable him to see around him...
s. While two bartizans and one bastion guards access to the sea, two bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
s on the extreme corners (northwest and southwest) are oriented towards the land to protect overland invasions.
The original plan included a baluarte structures and several dependent buildings: commander's house, barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
, gunpowder magazine
Gunpowder magazine
A gunpowder magazine is a magazine designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications required storage magazines...
, storehouses, bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
and kitchen.
At its maximum effectiveness, the fort included 20 pieces of artillery and had banquette
Banquette
In fortification, a banquette is a small foot path or elevated step along the inside of a rampart or parapet, by which the musketeers get up to view the counterscarp, or to fire on the enemies in the moat...
s to support a garrison of Fusilier
Fusilier
Fusilier was originally the name of a soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called the fusil. The word was first used around 1680, and has later developed into a regimental designation.-History:...
s.
The Chapel of Santo António
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
, located along the southern wall of the fort, the chapel is a simple semi-rectangular building constructed of basalt and painted in white (with the exception of the stone cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s, the door- and window-frames and base). The Chapel of Santo António was built in order to support the local garrison: its interior, although simple, was covered in artistic azulejo
Azulejo
Azulejo from the Arabic word Zellige زليج is a form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture, having been produced without interruption for five centuries...
tile.
After its remodelling, the pousada included 28 rooms and two suites, restaurant with esplanade
Esplanade
An esplanade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns...
, bar, conference and reading room (in addition to pool) was created from the main garrison's barracks.
External links
- Pousadas de Portugal Website on the Fort of Santa Cruz