Ferrol

Ferrol occupies a deep, sheltered harbor on Galicia's Atlantic coast. Its narrow entrance could be guarded by fortresses, making the bay a valuable refuge for fleets as well as a home for shipbuilding. In 1371 Henry II granted the town to Fernán Pérez de Andrade, and in 1568 a fire devastated its medieval settlement. Under the Bourbons Ferrol became a major naval center and the headquarters of Spain's northern maritime department. Royal dockyards at A Graña and Ferrol were built between 1726 and 1783, while new defenses strengthened the approaches to the harbor. A naval engineering academy followed in 1772, reflecting the crown's investment in ships and the men who designed them.