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:Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.
The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).