San Felipe Castle, Ferrol, Spain

San Felipe Castle is a defensive construction in a predominantly Neoclassical style. The first castle was built during the reign of Felipe II and it was redesigned between 1731-1775. It is one of the most representative examples of the major 'fortified batteries' of the 18th century. It was used to defend the Ferrol tidal inlet and for land offensives. The castle has a system of protruding walls, covering the flanks of the lateral walls. It follows the academic model of its time - the Enlightenment - in this case, through the application of mathematics to the art of war. It has a geometric layout and stonework. It was designed by the military engineers Francisco Montaigú, Juan de la Ferriére and Juan Vergel.

There are magnificent views from the castle, particularly for the tidal inlet and the A Palma castle. The building was recently acquired by Ferrol Council and will be renovated and refurbished for cultural use.

References:

Galicia Tourism

Castles and fortifications in Spain

User Reviews

Vasile Ion (13 months ago)
Nice place to visit. Free to visit

M Stef (2 years ago)
Beautiful old castle but has to be renovated

Nigel McKinley (2 years ago)
16th century fort whose batteries protected the entrance to the port of Ferrol, an important naval port to this day. Ferrol was once home to the Spanish Armada and so the fort and its batteries provided vital protection to the fleet during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Free entrance, well worth a visit.

Adrian Davies (2 years ago)
Whilst it is pretty run down, that's really the attraction. A great runaround for the kids in a stunning setting. But watch out sheer drops abound. Oh. And it's free too.

Joppe (3 years ago)
Nice in tact fort with some interesting history, beautiful sights to be seen. Unfortunately there was not much in English to read, most was in Spanish.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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