Tuesday, August 1, 2017

PT RR - Group 60 * Castles

Cards with castles, forts & fortress, palaces and other similar structures are always welcome.  
Rui sent me a card from Funchal, on Madeira island with São João Baptista Fortress and Inês sent Lagarteira Fort from Vila Praia de Âncora in norhern Portugal. 

Foto: helloguidemadeira.com / Cristiano Abreu
The Fortress was completed in the second half of the 17th century, and is located 111, 5 meters above sea level. This fortress was used as the city warehouse to store gunpowder (this gunpowder was meant for all the forts and towers of the Island).
Initially it was designated São João Fortress, afterwards it was renamed as São Filipe and São Miguel and later it recovered its original name.
In the middle of the 20th century, it was given to the Navy to accommodate its Communication Centre. Due to the great number of antennae on the fortress, the population began to call it “Radio Peak” (Pico Rádio).

Grupo MJF
The Âncora Fort (Anchor Fort), also known as Lagarteira Fort, is located on the current parish of Vila Praia de Âncora.
According to the tradition, the toponymy Âncora is connected to the drowning episode of the Queen Urraca with an anchor tied to her neck as a punishment for adultery by her spouse, Ramiro II of Léon.  

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