SAGRES FORT, Fortaleza de Sagres, is set to receive a much needed facelift after a tender for the works to restore the fort was issued by the Ministry for Culture.
Secretary of State for Culture, Paula Fernandes dos Santos, told The Resident: “This is one of many historic sites in Portugal that needs money investing in its restoration”
It has been proposed that the fort will have restoration work on the entrance tunnel and tower. Plaster is set to be removed from the walls of the tunnel then the roofs will be sealed to protect damage from rain water.
A drainage system will also be implemented in the area.
Originally built on orders from Henry the Navigator in the fifteenth century to provide assistance to seamen in the Sagres region, the fort has undergone many changes over the centuries. It is now primarily a tourist attraction but has fallen into a state of disrepair.
News of the funds for restoration has been welcomed by the Câmara of Vila do Bispo. A spokesman told The Resident: “This is a very positive development for the Fort.”
Although funds are much needed the amount being assigned to tender is only 160,000 euros which represents a drop in the large amount of money required to complete a total restoration.
The figure expected to be needed to complete a full restoration is around 10 million euros.
The fort is a national landmark and has had some conservation and restoration work done already. The works which were completed at various stages in the 90s, were considered to be quite controversial at the time as it included the creation of an exhibition centre, a multimedia centre and shops to sell and promote cultural products.
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