Forts of Cabrera - Beceite (19th century)
Gunnery Location
Elevated on a rock crag is the artillery site of the General Cabrera fort complex, its mission was to provide artillery coverage to the passes in the Beceite Ports, an essential communications hub in the area. It has four embrasures or gun ports, where artillery pieces were stationed with the aim of covering the valley passes at the foot of the hill with high artillery fire. The difficulty of access to the fort and its elevated position were ideal for defending these passes from the advance of the royalist troops.
Rifle emplacement
Attached to the artillery site is this fort, which served as an ammunition warehouse and location for the rifle sections. It has burlaps that point to the steep path that gives access to the fort complex.
General Ramon Cabrera
In the spring of 1836, General Carlista Ramón Cabrera decided to fortify different enclaves, among them, the Beceite forts were built. Between 150 and 200 workers were used for about 6 months. The unbeatable natural situation made these forts an outstanding strategic enclave.
Access path to the main fort
Continuing towards the top of the hill through a narrow and steep path we reached the main fort, at 877 m above sea level, from which the access to Los Puertos was dominated. The main fort had two floors with rows of loopholes and was built in just six months with masonry work at the top of a steep mountain. Its plan is rectangular with drums or circular towers on its smaller sides (located to the north and south) in which its only two access doors were arranged. Given its difficult access, this elevated fort only had a rifle crew and was designed to offer almost inaccessible frontal resistance, although in case of being assaulted, from this fortress it was possible to make an orderly retreat because a single path led from there, of inaccessible flanking, towards the wildest areas of the Sierra de Les Escales.
