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Castelo de São Sebastião
The construction works for the Castelo de São Sebastião, which was built to secure the eastern part of Angra’s large bay, started at the end of the 16th century. Overlooking the historic harbour, Porto de Pipas, with its long stretched jetty wall, where also the ferries land, this Italian-style fortress looks back on a turbulent history, with being taken by Castilian troops in 1583 and conquered back by the Portuguese in 1641. Restored by King Dom Pedro II at the end of the 17th century and underground accommodations being added in 1830, it later became a military hospital and, from 1936, served as a quarantine ward for 30 years. Today housing the harbour police and the harbour administration, the fortress also served as prison for political prisoners after the Second World War. It is by far not as imposing as the fortress São João Baptista and therefore often called the Castelinho (the little castle), but it also provides splendid views from its ramparts.
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