Ce que cache l'eau : la darse de l'arsenal espagnol de Ferrol dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle

Abstract

In the eighteenth century, with strong policy support for shipbuilding, arsenals appeared throughout Spain. This essay focuses on the Ferrol arsenal, the largest in Europe, and on its dock for it was in this maritime space that the fleet had to seek protection, thereby making it essential to provide the arsenal with specific accessibility and security considerations. To that end, technicians applied developments in hydraulic engineering but, while the construction of the arsenal was deemed a technological success, it also launched a debate, from an operational perspective, on how to make the best use of the dock.