Fuerte de Paymogo

Fuerte de Paymogo was constructed between 1644 and 1666 to defend against Portuguese attacks during the Hispano-Portuguese War and provide refuge for the local population. Designed by Captain Juan Bautista Corbachino during the early years of conflict, construction began on the Spanish side but Portuguese forces continued the work after taking Paymogo in 1666, recognizing the strategic importance of this border location. The fortress features a square plan flanked by bastions at each corner, with defensive external structures and a moat protecting the entrance. Inside the walled enclosure stood the Parish Church of Santa María Magdalena alongside troop quarters attached to the church's buttress walls. Today only the church remains preserved, as other structures were dismantled and used as building materials for village houses over subsequent centuries.