by Nick Nutter

Created on: March 04, 2009

Eight kilometres south of Cadiz along a narrow causeway linking the island of Cadiz with mainland Spain is San Fernando. When travelling to Cadiz by road or rail you have to pass through this equally historic but not anywhere near as well promoted town.

San Fernando sits on an island locally known as the Isla de Leon and from that island, until recent years, there was only one narrow bridge, the Zuazo dating back to Roman times, linking the island to the mainland. San Fernando then has always been in a strategic position, guarding the only land approach to Cadiz. Between February 1810 and August 1812, San Fernando and Cadiz was the only part of Spain not occupied by the French and the Zuazo bridge became the hottest property in Spain. It was defended throughout that period by Capitan de Navio Don Diego de Alvear y Ponce de Leon, Diego to his friends, commanding a brigade of mixed artillery and infantry from the Spanish Naval Marine. A plaque belatedly erected in 2007 commemorates the feat and proclaims the small battery at the northern end of the bridge to be [the]Ultimo Baluarte de la Independencia Espanola', the last bastion of independence in Spain.

This defensibility was recognised by the Phoenicians who, between 850 BC and 600 BC built fine villas, salt factories and potteries as well as the fabled Temple of Melkart between the southern extremities of the Isla de Leon, Sancti Petri, and the northern spit, now called Camposoto. Beyond that point, in those days, the sand spit now offering dry purchase to the city of Cadiz, was covered by the sea. The Municipal Historical Museum has a good assortment of artefacts from this period.

The town is also favourably placed at the southern end of the Bay of Cadiz. Since ancient times the bay has provided refuge from the weather for ships, although not necessarily from the predations of man. In 1586 Francis Drake burnt the Spanish fleet trapped in its own haven in an event recalled as the singeing of the King of Spain's beard.' The Spanish similarly found the French fleet trapped in the bay at the outbreak of the Spanish War of Succession in 1810 and promptly destroyed it. By then San Fernando was firmly established as the naval headquarters of the Spanish Fleet, as it is today. The Naval Museum is well worth a visit with documents portolans and charts dating back to before the discovery of America. Attached to the museum is a grand 18th century building, the Pantheon. The whole building is a memorial to the casualties

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