Angra do Heroísmo, Autonomous Region of Azores - Portugal
O "Reduto de Santo António", também referido como "Forte de Santo António", localiza-se a Sudeste na península do Monte Brasil, freguesia da Sé, na cidade e concelho de Angra do Heroísmo, costa sul da ilha Terceira, na Região Autónoma dos Açores, em Portugal.
Integra o conjunto defensivo da Fortaleza de São João Baptista, e cruzava fogos com o Forte de São Sebastião que lhe é fronteiro, na defesa da baía de Angra.
História
No início do século XVII, acerca da fortificação da Terceira no contexto da Crise de Sucessão de 1580, um anónimo referiu:
"Naquele tempo [crise de Sucessão de 1580], (...) e pois não havia em toda esta ilha Terceira outro forte ao longo do mar, mais que uma fortaleza, que se chama de São Sebastião; a qual El-rei D. Sebastião mandou fazer, depois que se tomou a ilha da Madeira pelos franceses pelo Caldeira [Pierre Bertrand de Montluc], que depois foi tomado, e foi feita dele justiça na cidade de Lisboa; e temendo-se esta ilha que fizessem outro tanto, se fez esta fortaleza na barra desta cidade, em uma ponta ao longo do porto das pipas, e defronte dela está um monte, que se chama o Brasil, que bota duas pontas ao mar, uma para o poente, outra para o nascente; e a que está ao nascente passavam muitas naus prolongando por longo dela, e detrás se punham muitas lanchas, sem haver quem lhe fizesse dano, por que ficava a fortaleza de S. Sebastião longe e mais metida na terra; e detrás desta ponta se podiam por muitas lanchas, e viram de noite ao longo do Monte do Brasil a fazer dano aos navios, estivesses ancorados no porto. E ordenou o corregedor Ciprião de Figueiredo [(1578-1582)] de fazer na dita porta um forte de Santo António, e na outra, que se chama do Zimbreiro, outro, e assim pela ilha outros muitos, como fez; e logo pôz em efeito tudo, por não faltar aviamento de todas as coisas necessárias na ilha, muita pedra de cantaria de duas sortes, e outras de outras sortes para alvenaria. Vinha de França pedra de cal, não faltavam oficiais para a fazerem, como sempre se fez na ilha, muitos cabouqueiros, pedreiros, mestres, que sempre houve na ilha. E ordenou muitas tricheiras e muros ao longo da costa de toda a ilha, como estão hoje em dia, como ao diante se declarará." (Anónimo, Relação das Coisas que aconteceram em a cidade de Angra, Ilha Terceira, depois que se perdeu El-Rei D. Sebastião em África, 1611. In: Arquivo dos Açores, vol. IX, 1887, pp. 16-17)
E mais adiante esclarece:
"Depois de idas as sobreditas armadas [no ano de 1581], entrava o inverno, e determinaram o corregedor, e os mais que regiam a ilha, de fazerem com brevidade todas as fortalezas na ilha; e logo deram fim com brevidade à fortaleza de S. António na ponta do Brasil, e ficou defronte dela a de São Sebastião em outra ponta, (...)." (Op. cit, p. 19)
A mesma informação foi utilizada por DRUMMOND no século XIX:
"Não havia naquele tempo em toda a costa da ilha Terceira alguma fortaleza, excepto aquela de S. Sebastião, posto que em todas as cortinas do sul se tivessem feito alguns redutos e estâncias, nos lugares mais susceptíveis de desembarque inimigo, conforme a indicação e plano do engenheiro Tomás Benedito, que nesta diligência andou desde o ano de 1567, depois que, no antecedente de 1566, os franceses, comandados pelo terrível pirata Caldeira, barbaramente haviam saqueado a ilha da Madeira, e intentado fazer o mesmo nesta ilha, donde parece que foram repelidos à força das nossas armas." (DRUMMOND, 1981:vol. I, p. 230)
E complementou:
"Uma das fortalezas que a experiência mostrou ser da maior necessidade, foi a que então ele [Ciprião de Figueiredo] mandou fazer na ponta do Monte Brasil, da parte de leste, porque junto dela passavam a salvo as naus das armadas, e com o seu abrigo se punham muitas das suas lanchas à espera dos barcos que saíam do porto, tomando-os algumas vezes, sem que houvesse quem lhe fizesse dano; porque o castelo de S. Sebastião lhe ficava muito longe e mais recolhido à terra, e de noite podiam vir ao longo da montanha atacar, e roubar os navios ancorados no porto. A este forte deu o nome de Santo António, em obséquio do novo Rei que assim se chamava [António I de Portugal], e fez capitão dele Baltasar Gonçalves de Antona, nobre cidadão de Angra, de quem falámos no ano de 1576 como vereador da Câmara." (DRUMMOND, 1981:vol. I, p. 231)
Após a conquista da Terceira (julho de 1583) por D. Álvaro de Bazán, 1.º marquês de Santa Cruz de Mudela, foi inventariado o seguinte material bélico neste forte:
"No forte chamado Santo António, que está à ponta do Brasil, uma meia colibrina de bronze, com as armas de França, semeada de flor de lices [sic], de trinta e seis quintais vinte e oito arráteis; um pedreiro grande de bronze com as armas de Portugal; um sacre oitavado, com as armas de França, de dezanove quintais; outro meio sacre chão, de bronze, de dez quintais sessenta e quatro arráteis; outro meio sacre chão, de bronze, de dez quintais vinte arráteis; uma peça de ferro coado, de quinze quintais, encavalgada; outras duas peças de ferro coado, de até treze quintais; dois esmeris grandes de bronze, com seus servidores, setenta balas de ferro, vinte balas de chumbo enramadas, dez cadeias, vinte balas grossas de pedra, dois meios terceirões de pólvora, outras seis cargas de sacos de pólvora." (FRUTUOSO, 1998:Livro VI, cap. 26, p. 85)
Embora não se encontre representado na carta de Luís Teixeira ("Descripçam da Ylha do Bom Ihesu chamado Terceira", 1587, mapa, cor, 64 x 89 cm, Portolano 18, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze), está representado na gravura "A Cidade de Angra na Ilha Iesu Xpo da Terceira que esta em 30 Graos", de Jan Huygen van Linschoten (1595), como "S. Antonio". O mesmo autor, em sua obra referiu:
"(...) No sopé do referido monte alto chamado Brasil, no ponto extremo junto ao mar, está situada uma fortaleza, que corresponde a uma outra fortaleza que lhe fica fronteira, de maneira que estas duas fortalezas fecham e protegem o embocadura ou porto aberto da cidade onde os navios ficam ancorados, pelo que não há navio que possa entrar ou sair sem autorização destas fortalezas." (LINSCHOTEN, 1997:337)
No contexto da instalação da Capitania Geral dos Açores (1766), o seu estado foi assim reportado em 1767:
"17.° — Reducto de Santo António. Tem este reducto sete baterias, nas quaes se acham vinte e uma peças, dezoito de bronze, todas esfuguenadas, e três de ferro do mesmo modo: precisa mais doze peças com os seus reparos. Esta é a principal defensa, que é a da entrada do porto. Na bateria mais baixa está arruinada a muralha por baixo do seu angulo precisa ser concertada." (JÚDICE, 1981:416)
SOUSA (1995), em 1822, ao descrever o porto de Angra referiu: "(...) e a [ponta] de S. António a oeste, [onde há um castelo] de igual força [40 peças] (...)." (Op. cit., p. 93)
Em nossos dias encontra-se em ruínas.
Características
Exemplar de arquitetura militar, abaluartado, marítimo.
Chegou a contar com dez baterias, artilhadas (BAPTISTA DE LIMA, 1982).
Help
Fortification Visualization |
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• On fortification’s view page there are fortification name, its location (City, State, Country, Continent) and all other available data about it.
• First, you will see a window with a main text that contains the fortification’s history and other information about its project and construction, its buildings, works and other interventions all over the years, information about armaments and troops, interventions of archaeology, information about legal protection, relevant historical facts associated to this fortification and other information you think it is important. • Below text window, there is the Medias box: Interactive Map, Videos, Images, panoramics and CAD Designs. Click on border of the Media you want to view available content miniatures. Below, in this Help text, you can read about navigating between every different medias. Click on miniature to view it full size. This media is viewed at the same window that previously had the main text. Medias Box – Interactive Map: o An Interactive Map shows the fortification’s localization visualized by a satellite image. It is not a static picture but a dynamic one, which works with a Google MAP technology. You can go next and go back through the map with it, zoom in and zoom out, and view satellite pictures. o Click on correspondent border in medias box and on the link “Click here to view the Interactive Map of this fortification’s localization". o The Interactive Map shows viewed fortification’s geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). There are three navigation ways: Map, Satellite and Hybrid. Use navigation commands to navigate through the map, moving to any direction you want. Still, you are able to move through the map by dragging cursor with left mouse button, always pressing it. o Click on “Return to text” option to close the map and go back to main fortification text. Medias Box – Vídeos: o To open videos, click on the correspondent border in medias box in order to load the miniatures with available files about this fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all available videos. o Click on video miniatures you want in order to load available information about it – they are showed at the same window which previously had the main text. o At the view window there are: video title, your identification number (ID), a description about its content, video credits, date of realization and user name who registered the file – can be fortification’s tutor or other contributor user (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access available information about this user. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (Kb). Click on frame icon to open and watch it. o On the base of the visualization’s window, you can access other available videos with Previous and Next commands. Between the two commands there are the total of available videos and the number of the video that you are watching. o Click on “Return to text” option in order to close the visualization window of videos and to go back to fortification main text. • Medias Box - Images: o To open Images (pictures, old iconographies: plans and maps), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Miniature images are the first to appear available in medias box when you access fortification page at the first time. Click on a miniature to visualize it bigger. The bigger image is visualized on the same window that was occupied by the main text. o When accessing images, first you will see only four miniatures, and beside, there is the number of available images about the fortification. o Click on Show All link to view the total of miniatures. o Use horizontal roll bar to show all available images and click on the miniature you want to load with its available information. o Click on Search link (Images border or miniatures box) to open a selective consult images form . o On Search Form for images it is possible to search for the identification number (ID); image classification category; key-word of image description; any word which is in image credits; the year of image realization, in this case, with the option of searching for a specific date or looking for images from before or after a specific date. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Click on image, on visualization area, to open the original file on other window of your Web Browser, usually it is in a bigger size, with a better visualization. You can get the same result by clicking on " See image at original size" link. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the image that is being showed at the moment. o Click "Auto" to select this item option, going next automatically to an image from other. o Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, with which the register Tutor can go straight to edition area in order to change registered data. o On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where you can print the page content that you are viewing. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box - Panoramic: o To open Panoramic (photographic panorama in 360 degrees), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all Panoramic available. o Click on panoramic miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). o Click on this frame to open it and see the panoramic. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the panoramic that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box – CAD Design: o To open CAD Design (DWG format of CAD file, as graphic survey registers, restoration projects etc), click on correspondent border in medias box, in order to load miniatures with available files about a fortification viewed. Use the horizontal roll bar to show all available CAD files. o Click on miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are: CAD Design title, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, design’s author credits, realization date, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). Click on frame icon to open and view the design (you must have Autocad installed in your computer or other software of DWG file visualization). o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available designs. Between the two commands there are the total of available designs and the design number that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Below medias box, there are many inquiries with parameterized data about this fortification: Recent name, Other denominations, Type, Year of beginning etc. Parameterized data are those with which is possible to do researches on fortifications Search page. Researches can be done with each inquiry individually or by a combination of inquiries. • In “Project Author” and “Began in the governor of” is available a link to access the historical Character data listed there, forwarding to a section of fortalezas.org Website Characters. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below parameterized data box there is an entitle box: Related Characters, where there are listed the name and the nationality (with an image) of historical characters related to the viewed fortification. Click on a name to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Characters box there is an entitled box: Related Bibliographies, where there are listed title, author and type (with an image) of those bibliographies related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its informations, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Bibliographies page. After this, use “Back” Navigator command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Bibliographies box there is an entitled box: Related Links, where there are listed title, synopsis and websites (Links) internet address (URL) that are related to the viewed fortification. Click on link’s title or address forwarding to its website, that will be open in a new window. • Below Link box there is an entitled box: Related texts, where there are listed title, author and text summary posted in Forum section and which are related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • On top and base of page, the system informs the total results (registers), between parenthesis, and the number of the register that is being viewed. • On top and base of page, there are also available the commands to go Next and to go Back, from a text to other, between the results (registers) found in the previous search. • On top and base of page, it is available the “Listing” link to go back to the page with the other results (registers) found in the last research. • Below related texts box, there is a “Contributions” table, where there is Item Tutor’s name, who is responsible for fortification register. Below its name, there are listed other users name that contributed to tutor in edition, revision or adding information about this fortification. • Beside Tutor name you can see the date of the last update of fortification’s data. Beside Contributor name is the date when he last contributed. • Below “Medias” sub item there are listed users that contributed to Tutor, adding a media to this fortification: image, video, panoramic or CAD Design. Beside user name, the number between parentheses informs the quantity of media files added by this user. • Click on Tutor name or those names which are contributors in order to view their available information. • Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, which the register Tutor can change registered contents, and others users can contribute with an additional information about this fortification. • On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where it can be print all fortification content that you are viewing. In this print will be listed medias data without their images. To print it, see below, Medias Box – Images item. |