The Reis Magos fort is located at Verem, in Bardez taluka. The fort was built around 1551 and served as a prison till 1993. The name ‘Reis Magos’ is derived from the church nearby which was built in 1555, where Reis signifies the ‘Three Wise men’.
The fort was once a stronghold of Portuguese, where Viceroys and state officials would lodge en-route Lisbon. The fort also stood against the offence of the Marathas in the 18th century. It has a unique architectural style built with laterite stones.
As the fort was abandoned in 1993, Late Mario Miranda who was then the convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage along with the UK based Lady Hamlyn of the Helen Hamlyn Trust started the restoration act. After the restoration, the fort was then opened to the public in 2012.
