Renovations are finally underway on one of the walls of Praia da Rocha’s iconic but rundown Santa Catarina fortress.
According to national tabloid Correio da Manhã, the €20,000 works aim to ensure the stability of the wall and should be completed within a month.
The fortress is one of Portimão’s most iconic landmarks but even local mayor Isilda Gomes said last year that due to its decaying state, it was a “negative one”.
Located at the top of a cliff at the mouth of the Arade river, the fortress has been subjected to years of abandon which left it overrun with rubbish and graffiti.
For some time, it was even unclear which entity had jurisdiction over the monument, though that responsibility was later confirmed to belong to the Sines and Algarve port authority.
The fortress has since been included in the state’s Revive programme which aims to use private investment to bring old forgotten monuments back to their former glory and turn them into tourist attractions.
The works that are ongoing now are only to ensure the safety of the fortress, while the bulk of the renovations will only be carried out by the private entity that takes over its management.
The concession period can vary between 30 to 50 years.
The tabloid adds that a tender for the fortress has not been launched yet due to a series of studies that have to be completed.
michael.bruxo@algarveresident.com
