Artillery museum

Military Museum of Cartagena

Given the fact that Cartagena was fought over for much of 2,200 year history it is not surprising that the city has a great deal of military history. Cartagena is still an important military and naval base today.

The Military Museum of Cartagena has an extensive collection of items that makes it a great place to visit. In fact, it has the largest collection of artillery in Spain. The museum is housed in the old Artillery Headquarters, at Plaza General López Pinto and it is open from Monday to Friday from 10am to 1.30pm. Entry is free. The entrance is at the side of the building, in Calle San Juan. Telephone 968 501 300.

The building itself is of considerable interest. It was built as a part of the big programme of military and defensive works that spanned much of the 18th century in Cartagena. The headquarters was completed in August 1786. The full complex filled the area behind the surviving building and traces of the original arches can still be seen. However, a shot fired from centralist forces besieging the city in 1873-74 landed amidst the explosives and an enormous explosion caused extensive damage.

The building housing the military museum has been extensively renovated in recent years and it also houses important archives relating to military history and related subjects.

The museum leaflet describes the building:

The austere and functional architecture is typical of the military style of the XVII Century found extensively in the City of Cartagena. Typically representative of this style of architecture is the vaulted brick roof supported directly on pillars in the spherical simple Byzantine method or the alternative Gothic style with intersecting ribs. Overall the impression is of neo-Classical Gothic.

The building was made up of the arms storage area, courtyard and a blacksmith’s shop. A total of 24 arches allowed plenty of light and ventilation for the craftsmen who worked in hot, noisy and dirty conditions. The building originally had only a ground floor at the north, south and east, but the west side had a first floor. The rear of the courtyard was extensively damaged during the siege and a projectile can still be seen embedded in the west wall of the courtyard.

The museum has a huge collection, ranging from very large pieces of coastal artillery down to small arms. As well as weapons there is an extensive and unusual collection of equipment, such as powder mills, ammunition and equipment.

The model room contains exhibits made with great skill and care over the centuries, many by apprentices in military workshops. There are items relating to the Mechanised XXXII Brigade which made up the garrison in Cartagena from 1966 to its disbandment in 1996. There is also a model of the 74-gun warship, the San Ildefonso, which was built in the local dockyard in 1775. There is also a model of the lookout tower at La Azohia, Puerto de Mazarrón, which was one of a series of towers that kept watch along the coastline, mainly against corsairs from North Africa. There are also models of Cartagena forts, including San Julian, Galeras, Atalaya, La Conception and Moros. The latter, which can be seen behind the train station and bus station, is unique in that it features a twin tower constructed in Moroccan style.

A large model illustrates the siege of the city by the Central Government in 1873-74. The resulting bombardment destroyed not just the artillery headquarters but virtually every other building in the city. Only 17 buildings were left standing. The complicated conflict was between forces favouring a central model for the Spanish state and those, such as at Cartagena, that wanted to see a high degree of regional independence. As well as models, there are documents on display in the model room, including one dated 1508 which refers to the existence of the first armed corps in the city.

A visit to the museum continues through the old building and there is much fine carved woodwork of classic Castilian style. Many important events in Spanish history were played out here. On March 5, 1939, Colonel Annentia, of the Republican forces that had held Cartagena throughout the Civil War, was shot dead on the staircase by a Member of the Nationalist 206 Brigade that had taken over the city.

The principal gallery contains many portraits of military officers and there are examples of precision instruments used by the artillery, such as range finders and compasses. Many are of great detail and beauty. Regimental flags are also on display. One very interesting item on display is a 24.5 pound powder-prover known as El Jilguero, or The Golfinch. This was made in 1739 from copper brought from America and made in the foundry of the fencing master José Bamaola. The Goldfinch weighs 150 pounds. Several smaller rooms house the collection of 20th century uniforms.

One room is the office of the officer who directed operations for the Republican garrison during the Civil War. There are also examples of telecommunications and engineering equipment and photographs of the coast defence artillery. The artificial hand of Captain Ripoll, who was killed fighting in North Africa, is also on display.

The ground floor of the museum houses the artillery collection, which includes a huge variety of pieces, including coastal defence guns, anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns and mortars.

One of the most notable pieces is the six-inch Vickers gun from the harbour battery of La Parajola. On March 5, 1939, a Nationalist troop ship, the Castillo de Olite, was sailing in to with troops to garrison the city. Due to a mix-up over surrender dates, the Republican gunners fired on the ship and it sunk with great loss of life.

There is also a big German 88/56 Anti-Aircraft Cannon which was used all over Europe during the Second World War, including with Rommel’s Africa Corkps. There is a Cooper eight-centimeter cannon used in the 1898 war with the United States and which was originally sited in the Fort del Morro de Santiago in Cuba.

The oldest pieces are three cannon recovered from the wreck of a pirate ship sunk in combat off Farallon Island and a copper cannon originally made in Seville in 1777 but converted to a breech loader in 1877.

There are three linked rooms.

The Munitions Room contains a large collection of projectiles, including some from the 17th century. There is a huge, 885 kilogram, round for one of the big 38 centimeter guns that are still in place at Cabo Tiñoso, near Puerto de Mazarrón and at Cenizas at La Manga.

The Engine Room features the mechanisms used for loading, optically aiming and traversing the huge guns and many other items of technical equipment.

The Target Room contains equipment such as rangefinders and telemeters that were used to aim at targets that could be up to 35 kilometres away.

Finally, there is the chapel with a fine carving of Saint Barbara, who is the patron saints of gunners everywhere. This was carved by Roque López, who was a pupil of Murcia’s great master sculptor Salzilo.

The Military Museum is home to an enthusiastic group of English-speaking volunteers who are working to restore items of equipment. More volunteers are always welcome and the man to ask for is Allan Edgar, on 637 062 056.