Description of the attraction
Fort Santiago do Utan, or, as it is also abbreviated as Fort Utan, is located on the northern bank of the Sado River, which is considered one of the main rivers of Portugal.
Previously, on the site of the fort, there was a watchtower, which was built by King João I in 1390 as a watchtower to watch the coast of the Sado River. During the reign of King Sebastian I, the watchtower was modernized, expanded and fortified, and a high wall was built around the tower. The construction work was carried out under the direction of Afonso Alvares, who was the personal architect of King Sebastian I and a fortification engineer. The fort combines two styles: Gothic and Mannerism. Among the structures that were built under the leadership of Afonso Alvares is the monastery of São Bento in Lisbon, which was badly damaged during the Lisbon earthquake in 1755.
In 1580, during a dynastic crisis in Portugal, the fort sided with Antonio I, prior of the Knights of Malta in Portugal and pretender to the Portuguese throne, and was besieged by the Spaniards, led by the Duke of Alba. In 1625, a lighthouse was installed on the territory of the fort. In the second half of the 19th century, the fort was used as a prison for some time. In 1890, restoration work was carried out, and on the territory of the fort was the summer residence of the Portuguese king Carlos I Martyr and his wife, Queen Amelia.
Since the fort is surrounded by the Sierra da Arrábida mountain range that runs along the coast, the climatic conditions are very favorable for people with bone diseases. In 1900, at the initiative of the queen, construction work was carried out, the old bunkers were rebuilt into hospital buildings and a sanatorium was opened on the territory of the fort. Since 1909, the sanatorium has been converted into an orthopedic hospital, which still operates today.
