Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort
A star-shaped fort on Monte da Graça, key to Elvas' defences
Perched on Monte da Graça, the Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort—also called Conde de Lippe Fort or simply La Lippe—overlooks the town of Elvas in Portugal’s Portalegre District. Its commanding position makes it part of the Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 30 June 2012. In 2014, the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence, backed by Turismo de Portugal, launched a project here that creates historical itineraries centred on Portuguese heroes.
The fort’s strategic value emerged during the Portuguese Restoration War: Spanish troops seized the hill in 1658 while besieging Elvas, just before the Battle of the Lines of Elvas on 14 January 1659. A century later, during the Seven Years’ War, King Joseph I and the Marquis of Pombal called on Marshal Lippe to modernise Portugal’s army and fortifications. Lippe designed a star fort inspired by his own Wilhelmstein fortress (built 1761), but the Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort is distinct in scale and layout. Construction started in 1763, continued under Queen Maria I, and the fort reopened in 1792, named after its creator. It was part of the defensive network during the 1801 War of the Oranges, though it saw no significant action in that conflict. In 1811, during the Peninsular War, Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult attacked the region. In September 1808, Spanish General Galluzzo, rejecting the Convention of Cintra, bombarded La Lippe from a great distance; the only damage was to the governor’s house cornices and chimneys, as bomb-proof masonry protected everything else. French forces under General Kellermann held the fort until early December 1808, when they surrendered after a British blockade. Later used as a military prison, the fort fell into near ruin by 2014. It awaited transfer to Elvas municipality for restoration, and infrastructure work finished in September 2015, aiming to turn it into a functional museum.
The fort is a 150-metre quadrangle with pentagonal bastions at each corner. Four ravelins shield the curtain wall; half of them form part of the monumental Dragon Gate. At the square’s centre stands a circular redoubt with two floors and a parapet lined with gun ports. The circular tower also has two vaulted floors: the lower holds a decorated chapel, the upper the Governor’s House. Beneath the chapel, carved into rock, lies a cistern. Outside, a hornwork and a wid
- Location
- Monte da Graça, near Elvas, Portalegre District, Portugal
- Built
- 1763–1792
- Designer
- Marshal Lippe
- UNESCO Status
- World Heritage Site (30 June 2012)
- Historical Names
- Conde de Lippe Fort, La Lippe
- Dimensions
- 150-metre quadrangle with pentagonal bastions
Lore & Background
The strategic importance of the fort was demonstrated during the Portuguese Restoration War, when in 1658 Spanish troops occupied the site during the siege of the town of Elvas prior to the Battle of the Lines of Elvas on 14 January 1659. A century later, during the Seven Years' War, King Joseph I of Portugal and the Marquis of Pombal called on Marshal Lippe to reorganise the Portuguese army and draw up plans for the modernisation of the stronghold. He designed a star fort inspired by his own Wilhelmstein fortress (built 1761), but the Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort is distinct in scale and layout. The work began in 1763 and continued into the reign of Maria I of Portugal, with the fort reopening in 1792 under the name of Conde de Lippe Fort after its designer.
Reader's Guide
The Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort resisted Spanish troops during the 1801 War of the Oranges and a later attack in 1811 during the Peninsular War by the troops of Marshall Jean-de-Dieu Soult. In September 1808, Spanish General Galluzzo, upon hearing of the Convention of Cintra, refused to acknowledge it and carried out a trifling bombardment of La Lippe from an immense distance, causing only minor damage. The French commander, Captain Girod de Novillars, held out until late November when the 1,200 French troops inside marched out following the arrival of the British. Subsequently used as a military prison, by 2014 the site was in a near ruinous condition and awaited transfer to the Municipality of Elvas for restoration. The necessary work on the infrastructure was completed in September 2015 with the aim of turning the fort into a functional museum. Although many 18th and 19th century military commentators considered the fort impregnable, French General Dumouriez noted that because many of its batteries were set into the rock, they were vulnerable to cannonade fire while he considered the hornwork carried 'the defences too great a distance.'
Did You Know?
- The fort is a 150-metre quadrangle with pentagonal bastions at the corners and four ravelins covering the curtain wall.
- A 19th-century visitor noted a well of amazing depth that yields water mixing readily with oil, producing a thick fluid resembling milk with a disagreeable flavour.
- The fort's circular tower has two vaulted floors: the first a decorated chapel and the second the Governor's House, with a cistern carved into the rock below the chapel.
- During the Peninsular War, French Captain Girod de Novillars held the fort against Spanish forces until late November 1808, when 1,200 French troops marched out after the British arrived.
More in World Heritage Sites in Portugal 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record