The origins of the Fort of Arade (or Ferragudo, as it is also known) date back to the Philippine Dynasty, and the need by the Habsburg rulers to defend the coast of the peninsula from attacks by pirates and privateers in service to the Crowns of northern Europe.

[1][4] An inspection carried-out by the Governor of the Kingdom of the Algarve, D. Rodrigo António de Noronha e Meneses, considered the fortification to be in perfect condition.

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake did not result in any damages, in comparison to many of the buildings/structures along the southern coast, partly due to its construction on soft rock.

[4] The area was also a transit point for boats leaving the river, making it a responsible for fluvial traffic that entered and left Silves.

Still in private hands, it was classified in 1975 as a historic building by the Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico (IPPAR), forerunner of the IGESPAR.

But, today, it is practically abandoned: the local authority petitioned for its transformation into cultural centre; in 1976, the Junta Freguesia de Ferragudo solicited the national government in order to occupy the fort.