The C17th Fortaleza de Santa Catarina that sits above Praia da Rocha in Portimão has come under attack by the Left Bloc which is appalled at the state of the historic building.
A draft resolution has been presented that recommends to the government that the building, which for centuries has commanded the entrance to Portimão, is repaired and put to some better use than currently.
The Left Bloc MPs say the state of degradation of the monument can not be allowed to continue and that the fort currently is a public danger as well as "conveying an image that is not favorable to the nationally renowned tourist resort of Praia da Rocha."
The MPs urge the government to take the necessary action to rescue and repair this monument, which has languished under the Ports of Sines and the Algarve management, and before that the local ports authority, so that once again the fort can become a dignified, valued and pleasant building to visit.
The Fortaleza de Santa Catarina de Ribamar, better known as Miradouro de Santa Catarina, is located at the eastern end of the Praia da Rocha strip. The fort was built in the reign of Philip III, some say earlier, to command the Arade river entrance and to defend the local population from pirates and privateers, as well as military invasions, in tandem with the Fortaleza São João do Arade on the opposite bank in Ferragudo.
In 1946 the property was handed to the Municipal Commission for Tourism of Portimão and from 1960 onwards, having being occupied variously by the maritime and fiscal police, the fort was fixed up and transformed into a tourist spot with a kiosk, a bar-terrace and a restaurant.
The Fortaleza de Santa Catarina is now owned by the State but is not included in the new 'Revive' programme that encourages business involvement in historic buildings in return for a temptingly long lease. The fort is run by the Sines ports authority, but not for long as the Algarve’s mayors are soon to take over the management of the region’s ports in a welcome devolvement by government.
The Ports of Sines and the Algarve management says that the fort has been the subject of a conservation proposal to stabilise the eastern walls and the National Civil Engineering Laboratory is deciding how best to rescue the building as the engineering involved is said to be complex.
The council wants to have control over the fort as long, presumably as long as someone else pays for it to be fixed up.
A Dutch entrepreneur living in the area has offered to renovate the public spaces to re-launch a cafe, museum and toilet facilities but while the future management control remains unclear, it is unlikely that a solid deal can be done in the immediate future despite the willingness of the local council.
For a view of the fort:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-FifhpOnywkbFg5a1JuemU4T3M/view
The Left Bloc MP supporting this parliamentary petition are:
João Vasconcelos, Pedro Filipe Soares, Jorge Costa, Mariana Mortágua, Pedro Soares, Isabel Pires, José Moura Soeiro, Heitor de Sousa, Sandra Cunha, Domicilia Costa, Jorge Campos, Jorge Falcato Simões, Carlos Matias, Joana Mortágua, José Manuel Pureza, Luís Monteiro, Moisés Ferreira, Paulino Ascenção, Catarina Martins.
The petition, in Portuguese, is at:
PROJETO DE RESOLUÇÃO Nº 585/XIII/2.ª
The first 30 Revive buildings on the government list can be viewed at:
