When visiting the city of Figueres, most of the tourists usually aim at visiting the Salvador Dali Theater-Museum – and this is really a must-see place.
However, only a small part of the guests of Figueres knows that, not far from the Dali House Museum, there is another prominent landmark. Namely, the Fortress of St. Fernando in Figueres (Castillo de San Fernando), the largest bastion type fortress in Europe, founded in 1753.
The fortress was vital for Spain to protect itself from the encroachments of the peace-loving neighboring France. The fact is that under the terms of the Treaty Of The Pyrenees peace agreement of 1659, the northern part of Catalonia was ceded to France, and with it all the defensive structures of that time, leaving the borders of Spain without proper supervision.
The construction was carried out thoroughly, no money was spared. The project was breathtaking – the fortress could house a garrison of 4,000 people, the underground stables could fit 450 horses, and the supply of food and water should have been enough for a whole year of siege!
According to the tradition of those years, the fortress was named in honor of the Spanish monarch Fernando VI, who ruled at the time of the foundation of the fortress. Unfortunately, he did not have time to enjoy the finished creation, and after the death of the king, the construction was delayed for almost 40 years, and many objects were never completed. And the good-natured French already in 1794 laid siege to the fortress and took by storm, and then repeated it again and again in 1811 and 1823, showing no respect for this wonderful gem of fortification science.
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