king miguel i used the fort in 1831 for target practice, using its artillery to aim at barges moored in the middle of the tagus for that purpose. these were the only occasions on which artillery has been fired from the fort. with the end of the portuguese civil war the fort was once again deactivated. after that it ceased to be used for military purposes and in 1888 was leased to a private individual for nine years. in 1902 it was handed back to the government and in 1903 occupied by the guarda fiscal, the portuguese customs and excise department, to guard against smuggling. the guarda fiscal was responsible for it until 1946, although in 1941 it was used as a sailing centre by the mocidade portuguesa, a youth organization of the right-wing estado novo government. a well-supported campaign in 1999-2000 for the restoration of the fort and improvements to the surrounding area led to significant work being carried out by the oeiras municipality.