The Smelting of Iron Cannons and Consumption of Gunpowder in Gipuzkoa in the Sixteenth Century

The province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque country was a territory of the Crown of Castile, bordering the Bay of Biscay and the frontier with France. Its strategic importance for the security of Spain meant that from an early time strongholds (presidios) were raised for its defence, of which San Sebastián (Donostia) and Fuenterrabía (Hondarribia) were the most important (Figure 14.1). These fortresses housed a considerable number of guns, garrisons of soldiers of the royal army, and armaments depots.