Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail GUIDE

c r e di ts

COORDINATION

Carlos Silveira Carlos Guardado da Silva Ana Catarina Sousa Graça Soares Nunes

GRAPHIC DESIGN

www.tvmdesigners.pt PUBLISHER

PILT – Plataforma Intermunicipal para as Linhas de Torres

TEXTS

Ana Catarina Sousa [ACS] Ana Correia [AC] Carlos Guardado da Silva [CGS] Carlos Silveira [CS] Florbela Estêvão [FE] Paula Ferreira [PF] Sandra Oliveira [SO] TRANSLATION

Monica Green REVISION

Technical Team 5 – Publications Francisco de Sousa Lobo Monica Green TECHNICAL TEAM 5 – PUBLICATIONS

Graça Soares Nunes Ana Catarina Sousa Ana Correia Carlos Guardado da Silva Carlos Silveira Florbela Estêvão Isabel Silva Joaquim Jorge Natália Calvo Paula Ferreira Rui Brás Sandra Oliveira Susana Gonçalves PHOTO CREDITS

António Pedro Vicente Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal Câmara Municipal de Arruda dos Vinhos Câmara Municipal de Loures Câmara Municipal de Mafra Câmara Municipal de Sobral de Monte Agraço Câmara Municipal de Torres Vedras Câmara Municipal de Vila Franca de Xira Carlos Guardado da Silva Carlos Silveira Fernando Zarcos Florbela Estêvão Francisco de Sousa Lobo Gabinete de Estudos Arqueológicos/ Direção de Infraestruturas do Exército Instituto Geográfico do Exército Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade Royal Engineers Museum

Gráfica Maiadouro 3000 copies LEGAL DEPOT 000000000000 PRINTED BY

IMPRESSION

1ST EDITION – NOVEMBER 2011

CATALOGUE

Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail : Guide /coord. Carlos Silveira, Carlos Guardado da Silva, Ana Catarina Sousa, Graça Soares Nunes; [texts by] Ana Catarina Sousa, Ana Correia, Carlos Guardado da Silva, Carlos Silveira, Florbela Estêvão, Paula Ferreira, Sandra Oliveira. – Vila Franca de Xira : PILT, 2011. – 120 p. : il. ; 20 cm ISBN

978-989-8398-16-1

CDU 355.48 Lines of Torres Vedras (036) 94(469.411)“1809/1811” (036) 94(4)“1807/1814” (036)

ACRONYMS

GEA/DIE MAV ML MM MSMA MTV MVFX MMLT MMVFX

Gabinete de Estudos Arqueológicos/ Direção de Infraestruturas do Exército Municipality of Arruda dos Vinhos Municipality of Loures Municipality of Mafra Municipality of Sobral de Monte Agraço Municipality of Torres Vedras Municipality of Vila Franca de Xira Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade (Torres Vedras) Museu Municipal de Vila Franca de Xira

COVER: View of the Lizandro valley from Fort Zambujal. Photo: MM

contents

Introduction

5

The Story of the Lines

6

Trails

16

Sites to visit

17



Torres Vedras – along the 1st Line

18



Wellington

34



The Defence of the Tagus

54



The Great Passes

66



The Junction of the Lines

88



From the Palace to the Atlantic

100

Biographies

112

Chronology

116

Glossary

118

introduction

In 1810, the peninsular to the north of Lisbon was the setting for the construction of one of the most effective defensive systems in the world: the Lines of Torres Vedras. In the expectation of a third Napoleonic invasion and yet another attempt to capture the Portuguese capital, three “lines”, comprising 152 fortifications, were constructed in secret along an 88 km stretch of hilly terrain between the river Tagus and the Atlantic Ocean. They were the result of a very close collaboration between British engineers and the local population. The third line in Oeiras was constructed so as to guarantee the safe embarkation of British troops, should the military strategy fail. Joining our forces with those who were so successful two centuries ago, the “Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail” has been created. This tourist initiative brings together six of the regional municipalities: Arruda dos Vinhos, Loures, Mafra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira. We have researched local history related with the invasions and planned an integrated project for the conservation, recuperation and valorisation of more than twenty forts on the Lines of Torres Vedras, and so create trails across the region, supported by an inter-municipal network of Heritage and Information Centres. All this has been made possible by inter-municipal will collaboration and co-operation as well as the financial assistance of the European Economic Area (EEA grants). All of these efforts have led to the compilation and publication of this Guide to the Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail. We invite visitors to explore a heritage that belongs to us all and to make a journey through time along the six trails on the 1st and 2nd Lines, – across hilltops and valleys where the landscape stretches as far as the eye can see – from the river Tagus to the Ocean. To discover local history, flavours and culture for themselves by way of a unique system of historical sites which belongs to Portugal, to Europe and to the world. MARIA DA LUZ ROSINHA President of Plataforma Intermunicipal para as Linhas de Torres (PILT)