Views of the Spanish battleship 'Espana' under construction in the naval dockyard at Ferrol, Spain. The city has been a major naval shipbuilding centre for most of its history, being the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department since the time of the early Bourbons. Before that, in the 17th century, Ferrol was the most important arsenal in Europe. Today, the city is also known as the home of the shipbuilding yards of Navantia.