Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça

An 18th-century star fort on Monte da Graca (404m), 1km north of Elvas, Portugal, officially named Forte Conde de Lippe. Designed by Count Wilhelm von Schaumburg-Lippe and built 1763-1792, the quadrangular fortress (150m per side) features four pentagonal bastions, four ravelins, the monumental Dragon Gate with carved stone cannons, and a central circular redoubt. The site's strategic value was proven in 1658 when Spanish forces used the hill to bombard Elvas. Part of the UNESCO-listed Garrison Border Town of Elvas (2012), the fort was restored and reopened to the public in 2015 after years of decay.