Monuments

This fort on the island of Berlenga was built in 1651 on the orders of Dom João IV, and completed in 1656.

Built to prevent this island being occupied by North-African pirates or enemy powers, the fort's most famous episode occurred in June 1666. It was then that the Forte de São João Baptista was besieged by a Spanish fleet, composed of fourteen warships and a caravel, commanded by Don Diogo Ibarra. Defended at the time by a small garrison of less than twenty men and armed with only nine pieces of artillery, this fort, under the command of the corporal Avelar Pessoa, held out against the enemy's fierce bombardment for two days, whilst also inflicting heavy casualties on the besieging forces. The final numbers amounted to five hundred dead, one sunken warship and two others that were heavily damaged, in contrast to one dead man and four wounded amongst the Portuguese forces. It was when the supplies and ammunition ran out and one of the soldiers deserted to the enemy that Don Diogo Ibarra became aware of the dramatic situation of the Portuguese garrison, and the episode ended in the capitulation of the Forte de São João Baptista.