the fort of sacavém was built in 1892 as the easternmost of a line of forts designed to circle lisbon, known as the “entrenched field of lisbon” ("campo entrincheirado de lisboa"). it now houses important government archives. taking advantage of its proximity to the river tagus and opportunities presented by the opening of a railway line to the north of lisbon, sacavém became an important area for portugal's industrial development from the middle of the 19th century. the first significant factory, the "fábrica da loiça", produced crockery and ceramics. now closed, it is now celebrated at the ceramics museum of sacavém, which also has a documentation centre covering the industrial development of the town.