Saint Ferdinand Barracks
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The former Saint Ferdinand Barracks in Pontevedra, is a large neoclassical building from the beginning of the 20th century located in the centre of
Pontevedra Pontevedra (, ) is a city in the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of both the ''Pontevedra (comarca), Comarca'' and Province of Pontevedra, and the capital of the Rías Baixas. It is als ...
(
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
), opposite the Doctor Marescot Gardens and very close to the
Alameda de Pontevedra The ''Alameda del arquitecto Sesmero'' (translated as ''Alameda of architect Sesmero''), popularly known as ''la Alameda'' by the Pontevedrians, is an urban park located in the city centre of Pontevedra in Spain. It is the largest urban green sp ...
.


History


The Royal House of the Maestranza

The Royal House of the Maestranza (predecessor of the current Saint Ferdinand barracks) was built by Íñigo Melchor Fernández de Velasco,
Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...
of
Castile and León Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spain by area, covering 94,222 km2. It is, however, sparsely populated, with a pop ...
and Captain General of Galicia between 1665 and 1668. It was built with stone from the demolition of houses in the A Moureira neighbourhood, which had been left abandoned at the end of the previous century. It was a one-storey building with four wings and a large central courtyard, whose initial function was to house soldiers in transit during the war with Portugal (1640–1668). During the
War of the Quadruple Alliance The War of the Quadruple Alliance, 1718 to 1720, was a conflict between Spain and a coalition of Austria, Great Britain, France, and Savoy, joined in 1719 by the Dutch Republic. Most of the fighting took place in Sicily and Spain, with minor engag ...
,
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
forces led by General Philip Honywood invaded and captured Pontevedra on 10 October 1719, capturing 200 Spanish soldiers and causing the city's population to flee. The British proceeded to burn several strategically important buildings unopposed, including the barracks. After the British withdrew, a number of restoration works were carried out by the Spanish authorities, such as repairing the roofs. The building was so badly damaged that Spanish troops stationed in Pontevedra had to be accommodated in other barracks in the city. The municipality of Pontevedra asked the
Bourbon monarchy The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...
to rebuild the Real Maestranza. The procedures for the reconstruction of the barracks began with the order of the
Intendant An intendant (; ; ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In the War of the Spanish Success ...
Francisco Salvador de Pineda, to accommodate a
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...
squadron of the Montesa Regiment in the city. The Minister of War, the Duke of Montemar, ordered the military engineer Antonio Flobert to draw up the plans for the new building (preserved in the
General Archive of Simancas The General Archive of Simancas (, also known by its acronym, ''AGS'') is an official archive located in the Castle of Simancas, in the town of Simancas, province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. It was founded in 1540, making this t ...
in the
province of Valladolid Valladolid () is a province of northwest Spain, in the central part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It has a population of 525,398 across a total of 225 municipalities, an area of , meaning a population density of 64.77 people ...
).


The second barracks

The ''Real Maestranza'' began to be rebuilt in the year 1738. The construction designed by Antonio Flobert took advantage of the walls of the previous barracks and the
heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...
. The barracks was named Saint Dominic and was later renovated and enlarged. In 1790, the barracks served as a hospital for invalids in the army. From the end of the 18th century, the Princess
Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
Regiment was based in this barracks. In 1807 it was led by the Count of San Román. It was used as a gun factory during the
Spanish War of Independence The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
. The barracks were also known as the Cavalry Barracks and the City of Pontevedra Barracks until the 19th century, when it received its current name of Saint Ferdinand Barracks. In 1831, the Pontevedra City Council ceded ownership of the barracks to the Military Treasury, which rebuilt its façade and converted it into
Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
barracks.


The current Saint Ferdinand Barracks

In the last third of the 19th century, the barracks were in a rather dilapidated state and it was decided to demolish them in order to construct a new building to house a larger garrison. In 1889, the town council requested a state subsidy of 200,000 pesetas for the construction of a third barracks, but it was not until the end of the 19th century that the government agreed to the project through the Marquis of Riestra (who advanced 15,000 pesetas). The building was designed by the military engineer Bonifacio Menéndez Conde, who kept a similar structure to the previous barracks, although the height was increased and the perimeter was enlarged. In September 1903, the construction of the new barracks was announced and the work was auctioned off for 800,000 pesetas thanks to the efforts of the Minister of Finance Augusto González Besada. The old barracks were vacated in April 1904. On 1 July 1905, the Ministry of War published in the Madrid Gazette the call for a public auction for the demolition, levelling of the land and construction of the new Saint Ferdinand barracks in Pontevedra, which was scheduled for 10 August. At the beginning of September 1905, the work was entrusted to the city's contractor, Manuel Vázquez Gil. On 14 December of the same year, the military engineers in charge of the work came to the city to draw up the layout of the barracks. In February 1906, masonry work began on the new barracks. In October 1908, the engineer Bonifacio Menéndez-Conde Riego was commissioned to inspect the construction work, and in November it was supervised on site by Menéndez Conde and his superior Félix Casuso Solano. The work on the St Ferdinand barracks took 3 years and was completed in March 1909. The barracks cost more than 600,000 pesetas and were handed over to the military authorities in a ceremony on 14 August 1909. On 21 August, the transfer of the offices to the new barracks began. In September the water supply project was approved, the installation of which was inspected by Daniel de la Sota, and in October 1909 the budget was allocated for this purpose. In front of the façade of the new barracks, the Count de la Peña del Moro Field was redesigned, adding trees and gardens and a street at the entrance to the barracks. The transverse street of the Maestranza was also redesigned in 1911, under the name of General Martitegui Street, after the demolition of some houses. In the 20th century, among its military functions, the barracks housed Company No. 83 of the
Military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...
and the Parks and Garages Unit. The definitive abandonment of the
barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...
by the members of the armed forces took place on 15 December 1992 in a military protocol ceremony held in the inner courtyard of the building, in the presence of all the local authorities. The property was handed over to the municipality of Pontevedra, which transferred it to the Galician Faculty of Fine Arts. The renovation project was entrusted to the architect César Portela. The remodelling was complex as it transformed a closed barracks into an open and luminous space for artistic education. During the refurbishment process, Maestranza Street was incorporated as a pedestrian access platform to the building. Between December 1994 and January 1995, the renovation of the building intended to house the Faculty of Fine Arts was completed. In 1994, the
Faculty of Fine Arts of Pontevedra The Faculty of Fine Arts of Pontevedra is a university faculty founded in 1990 in the Spanish city of Pontevedra, based in the city centre, in the former Maestranza and old neoclassical barracks of Saint Ferdinand. The faculty belongs to the ...
, created in 1990, began to set up there.


Description

It is a large rectangular building in the
neoclassical style Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassici ...
. It has a ground floor and two upper floors, with rectangular windows, balcony
parapets A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...
and
lintels A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented/structural item. In the case of ...
forming auricles, typical of the 19th century in Pontevedra. The central part of the façade, which determines the institutional character of the building, where the entrance door is located, the base, the balcony parapets, the window and door lintels, the pilasters and cornices are made of granite and the rest of the wall of
masonry Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...
. The façade is crowned at the top by a circular
pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...
topped by a vegetal form (originally used to support the flag), on which is the
coat of arms of Spain A coat is typically an outer clothing, garment for the upper body, worn by any gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of Button (clothing), buttons, zippers, Hook-and-loo ...
, also in granite. The total symmetry and continuity of the multiple windows along the facades are remarkable, creating a bright interior. On the eastern façade and in the large central courtyard, the stone window frames are simple and undecorated. During the exterior renovation of the facade in 1994, the
plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
of the walls where the
masonry Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...
was visible was recovered and the colour
guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...
was applied to it. In the course of this renovation, the architect César Portela also chose to use green for the windows and doors. Inside the building, the large central courtyard, originally 84 metres long and 40 metres wide, is remarkable. After the 1995 remodelling, the courtyard has been transformed into a cloister and garden with
poplars ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...
,
tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...
s and low vegetation, preserving its character as a central space. It was given a perimeter body for circulation in the form of a glass gallery, and a cubic room, also made of glass, was introduced into the interior, containing the large, flexible studios for sculpture, drawing and painting. A new floor was also created under the roof of the existing building to house the library, a documentation and information centre and other workshops, all with overhead lighting.


Gallery

File:Facultad de Bellas Artes de Pontevedra.jpg, Main facade File:Fachada Escuela de Restauración de Pontevedra.jpg, East side facade File:Patio da facultade de Belas Artes de Pontevedra.jpg, Old central courtyard File:Entrada Escuela Restauración Pontevedra.jpg, Side facade File:Pontevedra capital Facultad de Bellas Artes.jpg, Façade in front of the Marescot Gardens


References


See also


Bibliography

* * * * * *


Related articles

*
Alameda de Pontevedra The ''Alameda del arquitecto Sesmero'' (translated as ''Alameda of architect Sesmero''), popularly known as ''la Alameda'' by the Pontevedrians, is an urban park located in the city centre of Pontevedra in Spain. It is the largest urban green sp ...
*
Faculty of Fine Arts of Pontevedra The Faculty of Fine Arts of Pontevedra is a university faculty founded in 1990 in the Spanish city of Pontevedra, based in the city centre, in the former Maestranza and old neoclassical barracks of Saint Ferdinand. The faculty belongs to the ...
* Higher School for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property in Galicia


External links


Orígenes y desarrollo de la política de enajenación de infraestructuras militares en España. La reconversión de espacios militares para uso universitario (PhD thesis UNED, 2018)

Saint Ferdinand Barracks

Saint Ferdinand Barracks in Pontevedra
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Ferdinand Barracks Neoclassical architecture in Spain Buildings and structures in Pontevedra Buildings and structures completed in 1909 Barracks in Spain History of Pontevedra