Reales Astilleros de Esteiro facts for kids

The Real Astillero de Esteiro (which means Esteiro Royal Dockyards in English) was a very important place where ships were built for the navy in Ferrol, Spain. King Ferdinand VI of Spain ordered its construction on April 9, 1749. This happened after the naval minister, Zenón de Somodevilla, 1st Marqués de la Ensenada, decided that new naval bases and buildings were needed in Ferrol and the areas around it.

The first steps of building the shipyard were managed by Cosme Álvarez, who was the main commander of the area. The shipyard was built on the northwest side of a mountain called Monte Esteiro, close to Ferrol. It was first planned to have four levels, but it ended up with twelve levels to fit the mountain's slope. Buildings for soldiers (barracks), workshops, and storage areas were also built there.

Ships Built at Esteiro

Many important ships were built at the Esteiro Royal Dockyards over the years. These ships helped Spain's navy become stronger.

The "Twelve Apostles" Ships

At its busiest time, the shipyard received a special order from the Marquis de la Ensenada on July 15, 1752. This order was to build twelve large warships at the same time! These ships were known as the "Twelve Apostles" or the "Apostolate" class. Each of these ships had 68 guns. Later, the ships that survived were made even stronger, with 74 guns.

This huge project made the shipyard's work much busier. It also helped the local economy a lot, as many skilled workers moved to Ferrol to help build these ships.

Here are the names of the twelve ships and when they were launched:

• Oriente, also known as San Diego de Alcalá (launched 1753)
• Éolo or San Juan de Dios (1753)
• Neptuno or San Justo (1754)
• Magnánimo or San Justo y San Pastor (1754)
• Aquilón or San Dámaso (1754)
• Gallardo or San Juan de Sahagún (1754)
• Brillante or San Dionisio (1754)
• Vencedor or San Julián (1755)
• Glorioso or San Francisco Javier (1755)
• Guerrero or San Raimundo (1755)
• Héctor or San Bernardo (1755)
• Soberano or San Gregorio (1755).

Other Important Warships Built

Besides the "Twelve Apostles," many other warships were built at the Esteiro Royal Dockyards. These ships varied in size and purpose, from large ships of the line to smaller frigates and gunboats.

Here is a list of some other warships built there, showing how many guns they had and when they were launched:

• San Fernando - 64 guns (1751)
• Castilla - 64 guns (1751)
• Asia - 62 guns (1752)
• Galga - 30-gun frigate (1752)
• San Miguel - 14-gun snow (1752)
• Triunfante - 68 guns (1756)
• Dichoso - 68 guns (1756)
• Monarca - 68 guns (1756)
• Diligente - 68 guns (1756)
• San Fernando - 14-gun snow (1757)
• Campeon - 60 guns (1758)
• San Isidro - 74 guns (1768)
• San Julian - 74 guns (1768)
• Santa Ana - 112 guns (1784)
• Salvador del Mundo - 112 guns (1787)
• Europa - 74 guns (1789)
• Reina María Luisa - 112 guns (1791)
• Monarca - 74 guns (1791)
• Duque de Tetuán - floating battery (1875)
• Eulalia - gunboat (1882)
• Concha - gunboat (1883)

See also

In Spanish: Reales Astilleros de Esteiro para niños