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Reis Magos Fort

Reis Magos Fort

heritage site · Goa

Reis Magos Fort occupies a headland on the northern bank of the Mandovi River in Bardez, Goa, almost directly facing the capital city Panaji across the water.

State
Goa
Type
Heritage Site

Reis Magos Fort occupies a headland on the northern bank of the Mandovi River in Bardez, Goa, almost directly facing the capital city Panaji across the water. Built of laterite with cylindrical Portuguese-style turrets, it is one of Goa's oldest forts, restored into a cultural centre.

Reis Magos Fort is known for

facing Panaji across the Mandovi RiverPortuguese viceregal residence2008 heritage restorationformer prison (1900-1993)cylindrical laterite turrets

A short history

An armed outpost was first established on the site in 1493 by Adil Shah of Bijapur. The Portuguese built the present fort in 1551 to protect the mouth of the Mandovi estuary and serve as the first line of defence for the then-capital, Velha Goa. It was re-erected in 1707, and originally also served as a viceregal residence. The British occupied the fort between 1798 and 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars. From around 1900 until 1993 the fort was converted into and used as a prison. Restoration began in 2008, funded by the Helen Hamlyn Trust, INTACH, and the Government of Goa, overseen by architect Gerard da Cunha; the fort now functions as a cultural centre. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reis_Magos]

Why Reis Magos Fort matters

Reis Magos is regarded as one of the earliest and most historically layered Portuguese-era forts in Goa, and its 2008-2012 restoration is frequently cited as a model conservation project for colonial-era Indian heritage structures.

When to go

Late October to February

How to reach

The fort is at Verem, Bardez, about 8.4 km from Panaji (reachable by taxi, auto-rickshaw, or the Panaji-Betim ferry) and about 34.2 km from Goa International Airport.

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