The mountain, at an altitude of 408 metres, was not fortified but was defended by what are today known as the Fort of Mosqueiro, the Fort of Ribas and others. Other articles where lines of Torres Vedras is discussed: Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington: Victory in the Napoleonic Wars: fortified the famous "lines of Torres Vedras" across the Lisbon peninsula. The column used marble from the parish of Pro Pinheiro in Sintra municipality. Search this site. Lines of Torres Interpretation Centre at Bucelas Wine museum. [13][14], The last and most westerly section of the first line ran from the gorge of the Sizandro to the sea, a distance of nearly 12 miles (19km), more than half of which, however, on the western side had been rendered impassable by the damming of the Sizandro and by the conversion of its lower reaches into one huge inundation. [4][8], The work began on the main defensive works on 3 November 1809, initially at the Fort of So Julio da Barra and almost immediately afterwards at the Fort of So Vicente (St. Vincent) overlooking the town of Torres Vedras and at the Fort of Alqueido on top of Monte Agrao. He used a report of Colonel Vincent, ordered by Junot in 1807, describing the excellent defensive capacities in the region nearby Lisbon. [26] Other information centres along the lines are: Rota Historica das Linhas de Torres brochure. Torres Vedras is a municipality in the Portuguese district of Lisbon, approximately 40 kilometres (20 mi) north of the capital Lisbon in the Oeste region, in the Centro of Portugal.. History. Read more. The three lines of Torres Vedras had redoubts and forts strategically placed in the top of hills, controlling the roads to Lisbon and using the natural obstacles of the land. The delays to the French arrival, however, enabled him to strengthen the first line sufficiently to warrant aiming to hold it permanently rather than just using it for delaying purposes. 28. All rights reserved. Photos. Destinations. A possible eastern approach down the Tagus was protected with anchored gun boats. Re: Peninsular Campaign: Lines of Torres Vedras. It had 17 redoubts and covered trenches, 86 pieces of artillery, and was defended by marines and orderlies from Lisbon, with a total of 7,500 men.[3]. Altogether, therefore, Wellington had some 60,000 regular frontline troops whom he could depend upon, and 20,000 more who could be trusted to man the lines.[18]. The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War.Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, constructed by Sir Richard Fletcher, 1st Baronet, and his Portuguese workers between November 1809 and September 1810, and used to stop Massna's 1810 offensive. According to the present Duke of Wellingon, writing in the foreword of Norris & Bremners The Lines of Torres Vedras, the outcome of the spectacular nature of this defeat has never been fully appreciated by military historians. That the French were able to campaign in their vicinity at all was a remarkable feat, according to Wellington:[3]. Apart from some limited restoration of Fort St. Vincent in the 1960s the Lines had effectively lain abandoned from the end of the Peninsular War to the beginning of this millennium. [3][9], Labour for construction of the forts was supplied by Portuguese regiments from Lisbon, by hired Portuguese and, ultimately, through conscription of the whole district. Monte do Socorro close to Pro Negro, Wellington's headquarters. Castelo de Torres Vedras. First stop should be the Tourist Information centre in Torres Vedras itself and ask for the guide book; a superb buy at just 1. 0:00 / 22:42. To facilitate such movements a chain of five signal stations was established from one end of the First Line to the other, which allowed a message to be sent along the lines in 7 minutes, or from the HQ to any point in 4 minutes. Tu-Su 10:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00. Glosbe. In preparation for another French invasion of Portugal, Wellington ordered the construction of a series of defences around Lisbon, known as the Lines of Torres Vedras. It is 450 feet from Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade de Torres Vedras Museum. Retrieved 18 October 2018, European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, Leonel Trindade Municipal Museum, Torres Vedras. Explore different ways to experience this place. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Substantial portions of the lines still survive today, albeit heavily decayed due to locals re-using 100,000 tons of stones, although there has been some recent renovation work undertaken using EC funding. Work 111. India, Japan, Russia. The group will meet in Lisbon where we will spend the first night, using the opportunity to dive into the local culture and start to understand the impact of the events that happened 200 years ago along the Lines of Torres in the history of Europe. Primitive fortifications date back to the time of the Goths. Marshal Massna had begun his campaign with his 65,000 strong army (l'Arme de Portugal). Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, constructed by Sir Richard Fletcher, 1st Baronet, and his Portuguese workers between November 1809 and September 1810, and used to stop French invasion 1810 offensive. Lneas de Torres Vedras. [4] After the Battle of Talavera, Wellington realised that he was seriously outnumbered by the French army, giving rise to the possibility that he could be forced to retreat to Portugal and possibly evacuate. North of the lines everything that could supply the invading army was collected, hidden or burnt. We can demonstrate not only their strategic importance, but also how Wellington and his chief engineer, Colonel Richard Fletcher, managed to make use of the natural layout of the hills north of Lisbon to construct a defensive line of forts and obstacles whilst enabling the field army to manoeuver freely between the Lines. See a map of Torres Vedras in Estremadura, just 40 km north of the capital . Monte Agrao itself was held by Pack's brigade with Anglo-Portuguese 5th Division (Leith's) in reserve behind it, while the less completely fortified country to the east was entrusted to the British Light Division. Ian C. Robertson, Wellington at War in the Peninsular 1808-1814 An overview and guide, 2000. [10] It is said that the British government did not know about the forts and was stunned when Wellington first said in dispatches that he had retreated to them. One of the coldest winters the area had ever seen hit Portugal and killed many of the French forces. Work 116. Lisbon forums . In the Battle of Sobral they were repulsed in an attempt to assault a strong British outpost. Construction was secretly ordered by the 1st Duke of Wellington in 1809 who headed the British troops who had come to Portugal's aid as an ally. 'What Were The Lines of Torres Vedras? Google Earth. With the bicentennial of the Lines fast approaching the six municipalities set up an inter-municipal platform to move things forward and decided to apply for funding through the EEA and Norway Grants programme. They also exchanged crossfire with the Fort of Arpim to their north, which was a link between the first and second lines as it was close to three other forts designed to protect the road from Bucelas to Alverca do Ribatejo. Would you like to request a different tour? 98% of travelers recommend this experience. Work 121. Each unit comes with a sofa, a seating area, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a well-fitted kitchen with a dining area, and a private bathroom with a hairdryer. [21], Substantial portions of the Lines survive today, albeit in most cases in a heavily decayed condition due to past removal of stones. Work 112. List of battleships of the United States Navy, The Lines of Torres Vedras: The Cornerstone of Wellington's Strategy in the Peninsular War 1809-1812, John Grehan, Spellmount, The lines of Torres Vedras. Work 116a. Find out more about the Lines of Torres Vedras. [9], The lines were divided up into districts by Wellington in a letter dated 6 October 1810. Within a year, by the time the French arrived 126 forts and redoubts were built, with ravelins, detached batteries, etc. South Africa, Egypt, Morocco. Torres Vedras. Initially using the Lisbon Militia units plus 5,000 to 7,000 hired peasants and later by conscription of all people within 40 miles, supervised by 18 engineering officers and around 150 NCOs and at a cost of just 100,000 the work was completed, just in time. By some estimates 40,000 died. Here, therefore, were concentrated the 1st, 4th, and 6th divisions, under the eye of Wellington himself, who established his headquarters at Pero Negro, where he remained from approximately 16 October 1810 to 15 November 1810. Book your tickets online for Lines of Torres Vedras, Torres Vedras: See 28 reviews, articles, and 3 photos of Lines of Torres Vedras, ranked No.4 on Tripadvisor among 27 attractions in Torres Vedras. 'This is a well-researched, well-written, closely argued and . The second line, 13km to the south, has 39km and binds the Pvoa de Santa Iria to Ribamar. The majority of the defences were redoubts holding 200 to 300 troops and three to six cannon, normally 12-pounders, which could fire canister shot or cannonballs. Work 112. This forced Junot to negotiate the Convention of Cintra, which led to the evacuation of the French army from Portugal. Lisbon forums . Hmm..unfortunately I don't think it's gonna be as cool as we think. 97% of travelers recommend this experience. The Lines of Torres Vedras 1809-11. [25] A short distance from the museum just outside of the town, Fort of So Vicente and the Fort of Olheiros have been well conserved, with the former having a visitors' centre open Tue-Sun 10-1pm and 2-6pm. After attempting to wait out the enemy, the lack of food and fodder in the area north of the lines meant that Massna was forced to order a French retreat northwards, starting on the night of 14/15 November 1810, to find an area that had not been subjected to the scorched earth policy. Literature. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, constructed by Sir Richard Fletcher, 1st Baronet, and his Portuguese workers between November 1809 and September 1810, and used to stop Marshal Massna's . ", "Monumento comemorativo das Linhas de Torres", "Historical route of the Lines of Torres Vedras", "Press release Winners of 2014 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards announced", Complete list of the different military works (In Portuguese), 05 de Dezembro Caminhada de Sobral de Monte Agrao Forte do Alqueido, More details on the military fortifications, Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail: Guide, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lines_of_Torres_Vedras&oldid=1100393273. French were able to campaign in their vicinity at all was a remarkable feat, according to Wellington [... Repulsed in An attempt to assault a strong British outpost forced Junot to negotiate the Convention of,... Line, 13km to the time the French forces Santa Iria to Ribamar all was a remarkable feat according... To Wellington: [ 3 ], Leonel Trindade Municipal Museum, Torres Museum!, with ravelins, detached batteries, etc of a Tripadvisor member and of... 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