In the 16th century, Alexandre Massai (who served the Portuguese Crown) realized excavations along the coastal fortifications in the Algarve, discovering the plans for the fort of Farrobilhas, the old fortification that dominated Almancil (but today lost due to the coastal advance). Visits by the members of the Order of Santiago, in the middle of the 17th century, mentioned the existence of the hermitage of Nossa Senhora de Farrobilhas (also destroyed since this period).
