Fort Concepcion and San Jose Redoubt

Spain, Spain

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Fort Concepción, or the Royal Fortress of the Concepción, is a star-shaped 18th-century Vaubanesque fortress near Aldea del Obispo in Salamanca province, Spain, just across the Portuguese border from Almeida Castle.

Initially built hastily in 1663 by the Duke of Osuna during the Portuguese Restoration War to house 1,500 infantrymen, it was partially demolished by order of Philip IV after less than a year, then rebuilt from 1735-1758 under engineer Pedro Moreau with pentagonal bastions, earthworks, and a central courtyard.

The nearby San José Redoubt served as an auxiliary defense; both played roles in the Peninsular War when British forces under Wellington demolished parts in 1810 to deny them to the French, leaving visible scars that preserve their military history today.