Almeida Vista from the air, this fortified villa seems a star of 12 ends, so many as the bastions that surround it.
Almeida is today a calm villa near the border between Portugal and Spain, surrounded by bucólicos landscapes and flood of enchantment, where the pure air of the plateau is breathed. But since king D. Dinís took it by the arms in 1296 and until century XIX, this pacific historical village was seat of wars that it supported prolonged walls.
With his walls and bastions she is one of the most interesting strengths of the world, where the technique of the “hexagon” of the military engineer of Luis XIV of France is concrete, Vauban.Cada angle of the polygon is a bastion in lance form and among them smaller others, revellines are yerguen.
In agreement with the tactics military of centuries XVII and XVIII, this star configuration allowed to make the crossing of shot.
From some points it will be able to observe a good part of this irregular star of 12 ends. In 1810, French general Massena surrounded Almeida, who resisted valiantly during 17 days. He only capitulated because, due to the negligence of a soldier, the ammunition depot exploded, killing near 500 men of the trimming and destroying the primitive medieval castle. The terms of the surrender were signed in the House of the Guard, in the doors of S. Francisco, where now is the Office of Tourism.
Although she is not a specialist in military techniques, does not lose an original stroll by the 2,500 meters of parapets and bastions, following such passages of the soldiers who in other times crossed them during the service of round.