Castelo de S. Filipe - Setúbal

The project for a modern fortification to defend this stretch of the Portuguese coast dates back to the 14th century, with the construction of the Forte de Santiago do Outão, intended to control the entrance to the river and access the medieval village. In order to expand this defense, in the reign of King João III (1521-1557), Brás Dias received a regiment in the position of administrator of the works of the Praça and Castelo de Setúbal (July 31, 1526). The financial difficulties, which even led to the abandonment of overseas positions in North Africa (Azamor Fort, Arzila Fort, Alcácer-Ceguer Fort and Safim Fort), would have delayed the development of these works. .

Returning to the time of the Philippine dynasty, its relevance is demonstrated by the fact that the sovereign D. Filipe I (1580-1598) himself witnessed, in 1582, the laying of the cornerstone of the new fortification, designed by the architect and engineer. Italian military Filippo Terzi (1520-1597). This engineer would have worked on these works until mid-1594, when he signed a plan and section for the fort (8 July 1594), sent to the Spanish War Council. With his death, the military engineer and architect Leonardo Torriani was assigned to the works, who would have concluded them in 1600.