The Naval Arsenal in Cartagena

Visits can be arranged to see the 18^th century Arsenal of Cartagena, which remains operational

The military arsenal in Cartagena occupies a large area of land on the seafront in the centre of the city flanked on the inland side by Calle Real, and for most people is a walled-off enclosure of which they never see very much apart from the perimeter wall and the archway through which members of the armed forces enter and exit.

But the arsenal is in fact a very important part of the history of Cartagena, underlining the strong military connections of the city and the strategic importance of the port and natural harbour throughout the millennia.

Since ancient times the geographical characteristics of Cartagena have been recognized and appreciated by successive civilizations, from the Greeks and Phoenicians through the Carthaginians and the Romans to the Byzantine Empire, the Moors and, finally, the Christians. Beneath the city lie the remains of previous settlements including Qart Hadasht (built by the Carthaginians) and, prior even to that, Mesenia, Teucria and Testa, and it seems inevitable that the importance of the port has been accompanied by the need to provide it with military protection for over 3,000 years.

The first known written reference to military shipbuilding in Cartagena dates to 773 AD, when the Moors built three vessels to repel attacks, and far later in the 16^th century various naval expeditions set off from the city to attack a variety of enemies including France, Oran, Algeria and the Turks and Saracens.

But the history of the current Arsenal in Cartagena begins in 1726, when during the reign of Felipe V a re-organization of the Spanish navy was undertaken and the coast of the country was divided into three areas, each with their own main Arsenal to provide ships, weaponry and other supplies for military purposes. At this point the maritime division of Levante was created with Cartagena as its strategic base, and construction of the arsenal began in 1731 under the supervision of the military engineer Sebastián Feringán y Cortés.

(The other Arsenals were created at La Carraca in the province of Cádiz and in Ferrol, in Galicia, and since then another has been added at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands).

In order for the project to go ahead, the “Rambla de Benipila” floodwater channel was diverted via a 1,700-metre canal to the Algameca Chica, and a dock measuring 550 metres by 318 metres was excavated to a depth of 9.5 metres. Dry docks were added to the modified design in the 1750s, and 20 years later pumps were installed in these docks, each of them performing the work of 330 men.

The Arsenal was finally declared complete in January 1782 in the reign of Carlos III, and immediately became the most important industrial complex on the Mediterranean coast of Spain as ancillary businesses grew up alongside the shipyards. Thousands of people worked there on shipbuilding and maintenance, with the construction of wooden ships being the main activity: on arriving here the timber was treated in saltwater pools before being floated to the north-east of the dock, dried and passed on to carpenters.

In the 19th century, during the reign of Isabel II, even greater importance was given to the Spanish navy and in 1849 work began on enlarging the Cartagena arsenal. This work lasted 17 years, but it was not until 1889 that the industrial revolution can be said to have reached the arsenal with the electrification of workshops and administrative buildings.

Further developments in the 20^th century included the conversion of Feringán’s dry docks into submarine docks in 2018 – they are still in use today – and the adoption of more and more modern construction techniques and equipment.

The General Services building

The Edificio de Servicios Generales, on which construction work began in 1788, is located in Calle Muralla del Mar, and was designed as a training centre for marine guards, who until 1700 were taught on board ships. Until the early 19^th century the waves lapped at the foot of the walls, and the design features an octagonal tower on top of the observatory as well as a large well or water storage tank.

What has now become the salaries department of an administrative building was once the fencing room, while the chapel still survives.

Estación Naval de La Algameca

The origins of the naval station of La Algameca go back to 1759, when Carlos III ceded the land on which it stands to Francisco Enríquez for the construction of an explosives and gunpowder deposit. In 1850 the navy installed its own similar facilities, and in 1924 the station was enlarged by the acquisition of another plot of land known as the “Coto Roldán Alquerías”.

Further enlargements followed in 1957 to bring the total land area to 420.5 hectares, and in 1957 the US Navy occupied the station by means of a decree which remained in force until 1990.

The port of the Estación Naval was built in 1958 and has since been home to the Navy Divers Centre, the Bustamante Submarine Weaponry School and numerous other services.

The entry gate and clock tower

The grand main entry gate of the arsenal was designed by Sebastián Feringán and the first design for a clock and its tower were submitted by Francisco de Anestares in 1776, but the project eventually failed due to the excessive expense it entailed.

The same fate met a second initiative in 1857, and two years later Captain Miguel Lobo Malagamba was requested to acquire an appropriate clock in London. The one he chose was delivered in April 1862 but had been damaged during shipment, and it was not until 1866 that the timepiece was installed.

Visiting the Cartagena Arsenal

As an operational military base the Arsenal cannot be visited without prior reservation, and regular guided tours are offered to enable members of the public to see the historic site and learn more about it.

These visits can be extended to include the submarine base and a navy ship as long as circumstances permit it.

Guided tours can be requested at least 15 days in advance by email to oajcart@fn.mde.es, and all requests must specify the following:

- The reason for the visit.

- A list of all group members including full names, ID numbers, date and place of birth.

 - A list of all adults and all children, the latter supplemented by the details of the adults responsible for them.

- In the case of schools and youth clubs etc, the details of monitors in charge of the visit (name, ID, Date and place of birth, email and mobile phone number). The same information is not required for the minors involved: only the number of people, their age and the details of what they are studying.

- If group transport is being used, the details of the vehicle: make, model, registration number, company supplying transport and details of the driver. These details must be supplied at least three days before the date of the visit.

- A statement to the effect that all visitors are adequately covered by insurance and that the navy will not bear any civil responsibility during the visit.

These free visits are held on weekdays between 10.00 and 13.00. Small groups of under 5 people may be combined with others, occasionally on a different day.

Individual visitors are invited to join the visits held on Saturdays at 10.00 and 12.00, as long as a minimum group size of 8 is reached.

Click here for more information about visiting the city and municipality of Cartagena.