Elvas is one of the scanty European cities that has been capable of preserving great part of his medieval walls and the totality of the enclosure bastioned (evil called Vauban). The latter for his importance, is one of the examples mas significant of fortifications bastioned of the XVIIth to XVIIIth century. All his elements (doors, revellines, forts, bastions, bunkers, covered ways, police officer's bodies, etc) can be admired individually and in his set.

The defensive system reinforced with two exterior forts placed on paths hills that dominate the city: Holy Luzía and Our Lady of Grace. It is of emphasizing that this fortification, as soon as it was completed in all his extension, was never taken by the enemy.

In 1578 the monarch Don Sebastián disappeared in Alcazarquivir's battle without leaving descent, there being opened a successor crisis, which was tackled nominating the elder Infante and Cardinal a king Don Enrique, who to 17 days of his proclamation died. The Spanish Parliament, by means of a Public Edict, called on all the persons who believed themselves with right to encircle the crown lusa. One of the stages was opened this way mas important of the modern history of Portugal.

Philip II of Spain married in 1543 to the princess Doña Maria, daughter of Juan III and Catalina kings of Portugal, claims his death duties, supported on great part of the Portuguese nobility and the big merchants, receiving the support of Almeirín's Spanish Parliament in 1579, there being created of fact the union of both countries.

 

Nevertheless, the ordinary people supported the aspirations of the Prior of Crato, nephew of the Infante Don Enrique, there objected to the designation of the new monarch, being proclaimed king in Santarem in the year 1580, which motivated that Philip II was arranging to the Duke of Alba the invasion of Portugal. This one departed from Badajoz supervised by a powerful army of 30.000 men, who took Elvas's square in connivance with his leaders and at the same time it was done by Olivenza's neighboring city. After entering Setúbal and afterwards Lisbon, the Spanish Parliament of Taking proclaims it king as Philip I. That is to say, two crowns and an alone king. The monarch expanded his stay in Portugal for three years.

The commitments contracted by both countries, are broken by the successive Spanish monarches, who delivered the public and administrative charges to Castilian or Portuguese upstarts, loading with taxes the people and imposing a repressive politics, which progressive and inexorably was dismissed by this one and on the part of the nobility. While the warlike contests supported by Spain, they were harming the Portuguese expansion in the Indies, it happened that on the occasion of the war in Catalonia, the duke of Braganza refused to the sending of Portuguese forces. The revolts happened for the whole territory, up to the point of which in December, 1640 the crowd attacked the Terreiro do Paço, giving death to I validate of Philip IV, Don Michael de Vasconcelos. It was the beginning of the War of Restoration of Portugal.

It was the principal entry of the strong square. Of her there was going out the way that was communicating it with the neighbor Olivenza and the enclave strengthened of Juromenha, in the right margen of the river The Guadiana. From his surrounding areas, a powerful coop was communicating it with the fort of Saint Lucia. In addition a tunnel excavated in the rock, was allowing the traffic of municiopnes and personnel between both enclaves.

The door as such, it was defended by a powerful revelin perfectly artillado to that one was acceding for one of his sides and a bridge inermedio, that podian to be high. The intermediate space between the revellín and the curtain trancurre in bend, being the pit and the bridge perfectly beaten from both flanks by the artillery. The door of access the city is opened in the curtain, forming both a beautiful set of Renaissance traces, profusely adorned with the weapon and shields of Portugal.

They were raised in the 17th century, Concretely in the year 1685, during the reign of the monarch D. Pedro II, as it is clear in the magnificent incripciones that they appear in his foreheads.

Since in the previous case, Sao Vicente's Doors are of Renaissance style and are provided with a beautiful architectural design. Therefore also they are of double structure. The first one thinks in the revelin that it is in front of the curtain. The second or principal, it places in the curtain, and allows the step across a tunnel in bend, for which one accedes to the neighborhood of Boa Fé. Both doors are joined by a bridge that saves the pit. In the door of the revellín a niche shelters the image of San Vicente, saint to title of the same ones.

This door has an estructura very similar to his two sisters. It is known also as Door of the Concepcion, on having taken this name of a hermitage or chapel, which with this dedication got up on the same curtain where he is.

As an arrow of stone lining up the way of Spain, this interesting element stands out of the set, advancing from the bastion of Old Door. It is similar to a species of coop that culminates in a small bastion and two averages moons lateral.

Due to his magnificent condition of conservation, the defenses of the city allow to admire all the defensive elements, which shape a model fortification bastioned. This turns to Elvas's city in the only and singular museum of defensive architecture of the XVIIth to XVIIIth century. Bastions and gentlemen. Scarps, pits and counter
scarps. Redentes, revellines and squares of weapon. Booths, posterns and covered ways. Curtains, strengthened doors and slants, Since it has been said, a museum where the visitor can realize a magic trip to the 17th century or the XVIIIth.

Between 1807 and 1811 Portugal suffered the French invasions arranged by Napoleon. On the other hand, the alliance with the Frenchmen turned(became) against Spain, which on having seen his territory invaded, respondiço with a popular revolt on May 2, 1808. When the map changes politics Portugal, Spain and England turn into allies, with the aim(lens) to expel of the Iberian peninsula to the forces of Napoleon. Badajoz, it(he,she) was in this case the key, to enter Portugal. But the Duke of Wellington arranged his forces in Vilaviçosa, Évora and Estremoz, supporting as advanced top the unconquered Elvas, from which it directed the operations that for years developed in Badajoz and her surroundings, emphasizing between them the bloody battle of The Albuera.

Towards Elvas the injured men were moved in the different battles that happened along the border. Exponent of it is the Cemetery of English man, beautiful and quiet place that served for this end and that occupies a small bastion in the high zone of the city.

It is located to the west of the city and it was raised by the clear aim to defend Amoreiras's aqueduct. The water supply has been always vital for for the superviv gum of a deposited city. It is the biggest of the peripheral forts that Elvas defends, it was artillado and endowed with diverse defenses, between which stand out the slants that they him were preserving from the crossfire.

San Mamede's fort is placed to the south of the fort of Saint Lucia, monitoring the city for the ruta of the Guadiana and Jorumenha.