Berlengas Island, Portugal
The Berlengas is a small archipelago and natural reserve off the coast of Portugal, west of Peniche. The first archaeological remains in Berlengas date from Roman times, when, sometime between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, a watchtower was built. The remains can still be seen on the hilltop above the fishermen's village. The monks of São Jerónimo occupied the island around 1514 and built a monastery which was active between 1514 and 1548. They were forced to leave the island due to pirate attacks and lack of food, as the soil wasn't good for agriculture. Sometime between the late 16th and early 17th century a fort was built using materials from the monastery. By order of King D. João IV, in 1651 the fort was rebuilt or restored to address pirate attacks and reinforce the defences of Peniche, the town on the continent. Between the late 17th century and early 18th century, it was also used as a prison. It was finally abandoned in 1914. In the 1950s...