Friday, April 27, 2012

Inside The Fort



Cascais Citadel

- 1488: King John II built a small fortress by the sea in the village of Cascais;
- 1580-1640: Spain invaded Portugal. The fortress was enlarged by King Philip II of Spain;
- 1807-1810: France invaded Portugal. General Junot, commanding the Napoleonic troops, choosed this strategic place to stay;
- 1870: The Royal Family came to Cascais to enjoy the sea, turning the citadel into their summer house (the Portuguese monarchy ended in 1910).

25 comments:

Stefan Jansson said...

A hotel with a history.

Wayne said...

Must be a popular place to have been fought over for 400 years :-) The courtyard is wonderful!

Cezar and Léia said...

Lugar historico e sua foto é lindissima, adoro as pedras no chão dessa praça!
Um ótimo feriado pra vc!
Léia

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

I like the pattern in the stonework. It reflects a pride of place.

Unknown said...

This looks like an absolutely wonderful place! So, it's a hotel? People stay there? Expensive?

Unknown said...

@Cathy: Actually, there's a lot going on in the fort. Apart from the hotel (expensive, I bet), there's museums, a church (pink building), restaurants, bars, shops...

Kate said...

A Citadel as a fort with a commanding presence of the city certainly has been on my mind and yours, hasn't it?

I doubt that the one in Charleston would every become a summer place or hotel. Would be fun to stay at Cascais Citadel!

brattcat said...

how inviting.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful courtyard!

Sharon said...

That is quite a history! It looks like a beautiful spot to relax, have a meal, and maybe do some shopping.

TexWisGirl said...

neat as a pin and pretty colors, too!

Maude Lynn said...

Neat shots!

VP said...

Interesting use through the centuries for this place. I like its final look and destination...

Kay said...

Lovely shots! What a beautiful and well maintained complex for such an historic set of buildings! You must have been there very early (or it's not popular) to have found it so empty of people.

Unknown said...

@Kay: It's empty because the weather was awful yesterday, it started raining after I took these pics.

Small City Scenes said...

A beautiful and full of history. Maybe the rain will stop and it will be full of tourists. MB

theconstantwalker said...

Another lovely visit with you JM

jennyfreckles said...

Gosh, is it raining there too? This looks a lovely place - it's so neat and tidy!

Lowell said...

This place has an intriguing history. I'll bet its walls could tell lots of tales! Of intrigue!

It's quite attractive. I like the simple lines and the outdoor eating arrangements and the stone plaza.

I was wondering if, as in the last picture, each of the doors lead into a hotel room.

Halcyon said...

I love those dramatic clouds! And the paving stones are really nice too. A cool historical site!

Dina said...

In short, everybody wanted a piece of Portugal?

orvokki said...

This seems very nice place to sitting and drinking some.
I think Portugal is very beautifull country.

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

A place with lots of history!

PerthDailyPhoto said...

There was a lot of invading going on back in the old days hey JM. I like the idea much more of the Citadel being used for peaceful purposes!

Gunn said...

Stylish and interesting.