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The pirate raids and the nuns panic
The pirates raids by Turks, Morrocans and French on the coasts of the Algarve in the second half of the 16th century caused panic to the local population.
Coming mostly from Northern Africa, French, Morrocan and Turkish pirates attacked the coasts of the Algarve causing panic to the population. According to the letter written by the local administrative and judicial official ('Corregidor de Tavira') to King D. Sebastião, it was said that there were 19 pirate ships on the way to the coasts of the Algarve, but he was sure that they would not attack that year.
The authorities of Tavira were contacted by the authorities of Ayamonte (Spain), as the pirates could attack anywhere.
D. Sebastião had towers and forts built for the protection of the Algarve, such as the Fort of Rato, in Tavira, since there were reports of countless attacks on the Algarve coast every year. The nunneries were one of the most endangered places, because they were full of wealth and luxury.
There is a letter written by the Poor Clare nuns from Faro’s nunnery, sent to Queen D. Catarina, wife of King D. João III, where they show their fear of pirate raids. This letter ends up by taking advantage of these attacks and of the fear they caused as a way to make the king give them money to finish the works of the nunnery, referring to the Algarve as a 'land of Moors'.
Although it was thought that the pirates wouldn’t attack that year (1561), the raids did happen. There are plenty of news about those attacks. With the excuse of the panic caused by the attacks, the nuns managed to finish the building works of their convent.
Piracy begins
Fontes/Sources;
PT-TT-CC-1-115-15 (1561) acessível em / retrieved from https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/viewer?id=3781265 acedido em 29/05/2018
PT-TT-CC-1-104-23 (1560) acessível em / retrieved from https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/viewer?id=3781132 acedido em 29/05/2018