The Trocadero

Land concessions for careen and warehouses

Abstract

The transfer to Cadiz of the colonial trade centre necessitated the development of port infrastructure that would ensure logistical assistance for the Carrera de Indias. Maritime traffic between the metropolis and the colonies became so complex that they required warehouses for naval supplies as well as facilities to careen merchant vessels. Shipowners and traders from Cadiz found Trocadero, inside the Bay of Cadiz, an ideal place to establish such facilities. Despite criticism from the Consulate and the authorities of the naval department, the local government of Puerto Real drew on the town's old foundational privileges to grant land for naval storage and careens to those individuals and companies that requested them.