Peniche Fort

Peniche Fort, also known as the Peniche Stronghold, stands on the former site of Ribeira d’Atouguia, an important national port and therefore a constant target of pirate attacks.

It was King João III who ordered the construction of this fortification in the 16th century to defend the area, at a time when the municipal seat, Atouguia da Baleia, was losing its prominence and Peniche was gaining importance.

In the following century two more forts joined Peniche Fort to form the defensive system of the Peniche coast: Consolação Beach Fort, in Atouguia da Baleia, and the São João Baptista Fort in the Berlengas, along with the city walls and gates.

The purpose of this defensive system was to protect Peniche first, and the national territory second, from attacks by sea.

Built for military purposes, Peniche Fort played a role in several key moments of Portuguese military history and was remodelled and extended at different times as needed.

The changes…

In the 19th century, as it began to lose its defensive role, Peniche Fort became a prison and also a place of refuge for the Boers (a community from South Africa that had a significant group of refugees in Portugal’s West region).

Later, it became a maximum-security political prison during the Estado Novo dictatorship. Its best-known episode is the “Peniche escape” led by Álvaro Cunhal, among many others, in early 1960. It also witnessed important events during the Carnation Revolution (1974).

Peniche Fort is classified as a National Monument and has housed the Municipal Museum of Peniche since 1984, one more reason why the fort is a must-see for anyone visiting Peniche.

You certainly won’t want to miss a place with so much history!