Angra do Heroismo from The Fortress of Sao Joao Baptista
by Kelly Hazel
Title
Angra do Heroismo from The Fortress of Sao Joao Baptista
Artist
Kelly Hazel
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
The Fortress of S�o Jo�o Baptista (Forte de S�o Jo�o Baptista, Fort de S�o Filipe, or Fort de Monte Brasil) sits atop Monte Brasil on Terceira Island, of the A�ores (Azores) region of Portugal. Monte Brasil looks like two mountains forming a peninsula off the southern coast of Terceira, but it is actually the rim and caldera of a small volcanic offshoot from one of the four main stratovolcano that formed the island. Today, the walls of Forte de S�o Jo�o ripple all the way around the formation encompassing an area roughly 2kmsq.
In the 1500's, it was determined that the Azores were important assets. Their location made them an ideal place for ships crossing the Atlantic to stop, but the remote location also left the islands vulnerable to attack from pirates and privateers. Thus, a good defense was essential to the success of the islands.
Forte de S�o Jo�o Baptista was erected on Monte Brasil, just beside the port city of Angra do Hero�smo. Both then, and still today, Angra do Heroismo is the largest urban center on Terceira. From this vantage point, just outside the main entrance to the fort, you can look out across the city of Angra do Hero�smo, onto the the green cattle pastures outside the city, and up to the rim of the great caldera which was once an active stratovolcano that helped to create the island.
Though the original architecture of the fort remains in tact and unchanged, Forte de Monte Brasil remains an active Portuguese Military Base to date. It is always surreal for me to see the modern anti-aircraft guns scattered about the bastions in contrast to the ancient stone architecture from the 1500's and 1600's. Because it is still in use, much of the base is off limits to civilians, but soldiers do conduct tours on a regular basis, and there is a road leading to the top of Monte Brasil which is open to the public most of the day.
The City of Angra do Heroismo is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage City. As you can see, the architecture of the city remains unchanged from the 1500's as well. The buildings almost all feature white stucco walls and red tile roofs. Many of the buildings are original to the settlement, which is a true testament to the quality of Portuguese architecture on the island.
No matter where you look on Terceira, you will have a beautiful view.
Uploaded
February 28th, 2017
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