Angra do Heroismo from Forte de Monte Brasil
by Kelly Hazel
Title
Angra do Heroismo from Forte de Monte Brasil
Artist
Kelly Hazel
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
This photograph was taken from behind a bastion wall of the Fortress of São João Baptista on Monte Brasil. The city that you see in the landscape is Angra do Heroismo, the oldest and largest city on Terceira Island, which also serves as the political center of The Azores.
The Azores are an independent republic of Portugal. They were discovered in the 1400's and were an important asset to the Portuguese, as they became an essential port for ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Today, the city of Angra do Heroismo is classified as a World Heritage City by UNESCO. Monte Brasil is a peninsula that juts off the Southern coast of Terceira, and was enclosed by the fortress walls to protect the island in the 1500's. Today, the walls are still standing, and the fortress is home to an active Portuguese Military Base.
While visitors are encouraged to visit the Base, there is a strong military presence, and many reminders that the base is still active and many areas are strictly off limits. Soldiers do offer tours of the inside of the base at regular times, but most of them speak only Portuguese, though if you speak fluent Spanish, you may understand a lot of the tour.
The walls surrounding Monte Brasil were built in the 1500's by local stone masons, prisoners, and soldiers who were being punished. The ancient architecture of these walls stands in stark contrast to the modern military equipment throughout the compound.
Uploaded
February 9th, 2017
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