Ramalho Rosa Cobetar, FCC Construcción’s Portuguese subsidiary, has completed the rehabilitation of the Forte da Graça, in Elvas, in the Portalegre district of Portugal, 195 km from Lisbon and less than 20 km from Badajoz (Spain), after works lasting 11 months.

The fortress (also known as Conde de Lippe) was declared a National Monument and Human Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012. This architectural complex of military origin required a total investment of €6.1 million, with €4.7 million of funding from the EU and the remainder from the local authority. The works employed more than 200 people, many of them recruited locally.

The Portuguese President, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, presided over the opening of the works. Representing the construction team, the event was attended by Antonio Pérez Gil, FCC’s Central Spain and Portugal delegate, and Antonio Ribeiro Mendes, RRC Director.

The purpose of the project was to recover, conserve and refurbish the fortress structures, which occupy an area of 12 hectares. The works mostly consisted of the following:

• recovering and cleaning the walls, repairing damage caused by the abandonment of the site;
• repairing cracks and faults in the linings of all structures making up this bulwark-protected system;
• regularising the land and surrounding moats;
• refurbishing the storerooms and galleries to provide access for visitors;
• recovering graffiti and messages left by soldiers on the interior walls;
• fitting out the property with water, electricity and Wi-Fi infrastructure;

The original colours of the fortress and the graffiti dating from the military occupation and earlier were restored. Owing to the nature of these tasks, a team of architects and restorers was attached to the project to ensure that all the materials used were identical to the original ones. The military complex has been adapted for cultural purposes, as well as preparing it for public visits. A museum programme was prepared with a view to recovering memories of its history.

The Forte da Graça is considered to be one of the mightiest fortresses with bulwarks in the world, a unique structure and a notable example of eighteenth-century military architecture (it was last used for military purposes in 1980, and had been abandoned since 1992). It had three lines of defence: the first is a structure with a polygonal layout with eleven points, giving the fortress its characteristic star shape; the second line is made up of the quadrangular bulwark structure, with sides 150 m long and four bulwarks at the corners; and the third line is made up of the central redoubt, an octagonal tower with vaulted floors, housing the governor’s quarters.

RRC’s rehabilitation experience

RRC has considerable experience of the rehabilitation of historic buildings, including the EPAL Water Museum and Brazilian Embassy in Lisbon, the Pousada dos Loios in Arraiolos, the Pousada de Santa Luzia in Elvas, as well as São Bento Station, the Baçal Museum and São Bento da Vitoria Convent, in Porto.

FCC Construcción’s rehabilitation experience

FCC Construcción also has vast amount of experience in this area, including the Simancas Archive in Valladolid, Fuensalida Palace in Toledo, and the Casón de Buen Retiro and Prado Museum in Madrid.