Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort
| Forte de N. Sra. da Graça | |
Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort
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 Location in Portugal
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| Alternate name | Conde de Lippe Fort |
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| Coordinates | 38°53′40″N 7°9′51″W / 38.89444°N 7.16417°WCoordinates: 38°53′40″N 7°9′51″W / 38.89444°N 7.16417°W |
| Part of | Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications |
| History | |
| Builder | Joseph I of Portugal |
| Founded | 1763–1792 |
| Official name | Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications |
| Criteria | iv |
| Designated | 30 June 2012 |
| Part of | Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications |
The Nossa Senhora da Graça Fort, officially Conde de Lippe Fort and known historically as La Lippe, is a fort in the village of Alcáçova, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) north of the town of Elvas in the Portalegre District of Portugal.
It stands in a dominant position on the Monte da Graça (Hill of Grace) and forms part of the Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications, which on 30 June 2012 was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 2014, the fort became part of a new project under the aegis of the Portuguese Ministry of National Defense, with the support of Turismo de Portugal (Portuguese Tourism), which features historical itineraries based on Portuguese heroes.
The strategic importance of the fort was demonstrated during the Portuguese Restoration War, when in 1658 Spanish troops occupied the site during the siege of the town of Elvas prior to the Battle of the Lines of Elvas on 14 January 1659.
A century later, during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) King Joseph I of Portugal and the Marquis of Pombal called on Marshal Lippe to reorganize the Portuguese army and draw up plans for the modernization of the stronghold.
The work began in 1763 and continued into the reign of Maria I of Portugal (r. 1777–1816), with the fort reopening in 1792 under the name of Conde de Lippe Fort after its designer.
The fort resisted Spanish troops during the 1801 War of the Oranges and a later attack in 1811 during the Peninsular War by the troops of Marshall Jean-de-Dieu Soult.
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Wikipedia