Tourist Route Battle of La Coruña during the War of Independence

1. O Burgo Bridge

Paseo da Ría do Burgo (fuera de la ciudad, 7 km)

The O Burgo Bridge connects the municipalities of Cambre and Culleredo, 7 km from A Coruña. At this point, the first conflict between the British and French armies took place before the Battle of Elviña—also known as the Battle of Corunna.

According to a stele discovered nearby, bridges have existed at this site since Roman times. The current bridge is a reconstruction of another medieval bridge, which remained in use during the 19th century until it was blown up by the British army during its retreat to A Coruña.

General Moore, who was leading the British expeditionary force, developed a strategy for an organised retreat to the ports of A Coruña and Vigo, where the British navy would arrive in time to evacuate the troops. As per this strategy, the British rearguard, the Spanish army and the guerrillas engaged in a series of skirmishes with the vanguard of the French army and, among other military actions, the demolition of the O Burgo Bridge served to delay their advance.

The O Burgo Bridge was destroyed on 11 January 1809 and remained in ruins until its restoration in 1992. The present-day bridge has eleven arches, six of which are the original ones from the ancient bridge, and some have retained the typical starlings of that era, built to defend the structure from the forceful water currents.

The original bridge had a greater number of arches that are now buried under the water distribution works of the O Burgo Estuary. Today, a modern bridge stands in the proximity of the old one to divert the vehicular traffic. The restored O Burgo Bridge has now become an important monument and serves for pedestrian and recreational use.

2. Galiacho Rock

Monte da Zapateira

The Galiacho Rock, located at the foot of the Zapateira Hill, was the location that Soult chose to engage the artillery during the Battle of Elviña.

Today, the Galiacho Rock is found inside the University, on the road to Zapateira (University Campus, 73), and features a fantastic viewpoint and various commemorative plaques of the battle. According to tradition, the name Galiacho Rock is derived from the Spanish word “gabacho”, a derogatory term used to refer to a French person. In 1809, because of the Marshal’s presence in this place, it was nicknamed Gabacho Rock by the Spaniards. However, with the passage of time and the evolution of the language, it has come to be known as “Galiacho”.

Over the years, the historical societies of A Coruña and government agencies—Spanish as well as foreign—have added several plaques commemorating the Battle of Elviña and its combatants. One of the most remarkable ones, due to its impressive size and detail, is a hand-painted ceramic mural from Talavera de la Reina. It measures 2.70 by 1.80 metres and explains the order of the battle and its chronology in Spanish and English.

The unveiling ceremonies of the plaques, paying tribute to the most notable events of the battle, have received prominent national and international figures like the Prince of Wales in 1931, the British ambassador in 1997, and the French ambassador who unveiled this ceramic mural of the battle in 2001.

3. Church of San Vicente of Elviña

Rúa Camiño da Iglesia

The parish church of San Vicente of Elviña (Igrexa de Elviña, 9) is located in what was the front line of the Battle of Elviña. This location witnessed the confrontation between the French army of Marshal Soult and the British troops of Lieutenant General Moore in their defensive positions.

Scotsman Moore, commanding the British expeditionary force, executed a multi-layered defence so that the majority of the troops would have time to withdraw to the port and evacuate the city. The first line of defence was positioned in the area of the current university campus, where the church of San Vicente is located, the second was placed in what was then the municipality of Oza and the third in the highlands of Santa Margarita, in front of the isthmus of A Coruña.

The construction of the church of San Vicente of Elviña, considering the architectural style and the stonemasons’ traces on the capitals, can be dated back to the period between the late 12th century and the early 13th century. The church survived the battle of 1809, was subjected to a fire in 1933 that ravaged it from the inside, and was finally restored in 1942 to reach its current state. Since the 20th century, several plaques have been installed on the passage next to the stone cross of the church in memory of the fallen heroes of all the armies that fought in the Battle of Elviña, or the Battle of Corunna.

4. Plaques to honour the Fallen at the Battle

Rúa Camiño da Iglesia

The plaques commemorating all those who were killed in the Battle of Corunna can be observed on the passage known as Rúa Camiño da Iglesia, adjacent to the stone cross of the Church of San Vicente of Elviña.

The first plaque dates from January 1999 and was unveiled by the British Ambassador to Spain during the commemoration of the battle’s 190th anniversary. The plaque is crowned by an engraving of the intertwined British and French flags; under the ensign is an inscription in Spanish, French and English: “In memory of the fallen in the Battle of Corunna on the 16th of January 1809”.

A second marble plaque, dated 26 July 2002, honours the French general Manigault-Gaulois who was also killed in the Battle of Elviña. Under an engraving of the imperial eagle is an inscription in Spanish and French: “In memory of the French Brigadier Joseph-Yves Manigault Gaulois, who served under Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia, and died in the field of honour of A Coruña on the 16th of January 1809.” The plaque was unveiled in a solemn ceremony by the Mayor of A Coruña and the Military Attaché of the French Embassy.

The third plaque was unveiled in 2009 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Corunna. It pays tribute to the 5th Infantry’s Colonel John Mackenzie, who died in Palavea de Abaixo on 15 January 1809, and General Robert Anstruther, who died of illness just before the battle. General Moore, who was fatally wounded on the battlefield, ordered that he be buried together with his friend Anstruther.

5. Franciscan Order Farm at the University of A Coruña

Casa francés campus zapateira

The former Franciscan Order Farm on the street called Rúa Lisboa has now been restored to house the administrative offices of the University of A Coruña and is located adjacent to the Faculty of Architecture. On one of the lintels of the farm, you can still see the year of its construction: 1797.

Marshal Soult spent the night of the Battle of Elviña here in 1809. Since the farm’s elevated location offered great visibility of the battlefield and city, the veteran officer Soult chose it as the command post for his army and positioned the artillery close by. One of the projectiles fired from the batteries near the farm fatally wounded General John Moore.

Marshal Soult was one of Napoleon’s most competent commanders, but like many other Napoleonic generals, he avoided commanding the troops from the front line. Soult had been in the army since the age of 16 and had exhibited his courage and disregard for danger on numerous occasions until, in 1800, he was shot in the knee while leading an attack on the Austrians. Severely wounded on the battlefield, he was taken prisoner and spent several days in a miserable condition until his release. The captivity took a toll on him and he never again exposed himself to the firing in combat.

6. Monolith of Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia

Campus Universidade da Coruña

The campus of the University of A Coruña also houses a monolith commemorating the Battle of Elviña that was fought at this site in January 1809. The battle pitted 14,000 British soldiers commanded by General John Moore against 16,000 French troops led by Marshal Soult.

The monument was unveiled on 16 January 1998 by the French ambassador to Spain, at the approximate point where Scottish General Moore was fatally wounded by a cannon. A plaque on the monolith contains the same text that Marshal Soult had ordered to be inscribed on Moore’s grave.

The original inscription in Latin reads “HIC CECIDIT JOHANNES MOORE, DUX EXERCITUS IN PUGNA JANUARII XVI, 1809 CONTRA GALLOS A DUCE DALMATIAE DUCTOS.”

It can be translated as: “Here fell John Moore, commander of the army in the battle of the 16th January, fighting against the French under the command of the Duke of Dalmatia.”

Marshal Soult did not belong to a noble family, he entered the army at the age of 16 and ascended the military hierarchy on his own merits. Two of the milestones of his career took place in 1804, when Napoleon appointed him Marshal, and in 1808 when he was awarded the title of Duke of Dalmatia. British soldiers invented a pun on his title and nicknamed him “Duke of Damnation”.

7. Santa Margarita Park

Parque de Santa Margarita

Santa Margarita Park, previously known as Santa Margarita Hill, is the largest green area in A Coruña. The park dominates the city with a maximum elevation of 61 metres above sea level. In 1809, before the Battle of Elviña, the mountain was chosen to station the left wing of Moore’s British army. Today, the science museum Casa de las Ciencias stands at this location.

Lieutenant General Moore’s strategy was focused on delaying the onslaught of Marshal Soult’s army from three defensive positions that cut off the isthmus that gave access to the city. With a multi-layered defence, Moore sought to buy time so that the bulk of the British expeditionary force could be evacuated from the port by the navy. The first line was positioned on Mero Hill, the second in Oza and the last one in the present-day Santa Margarita Park.

In the final phases of the battle, the highlands of Santa Margarita became the scene of fierce combat between the French cavalry and the Highlanders infantry battalion. Although they hardly participated in the main battle, the Scots withdrew fighting with the French dragoons and retreated to La Pescadería neighbourhood to reach the ports of embarkation. Since then, for their contribution in the battle, the 71st Highlanders flaunted the distinctive “Coruña” in their regimental colours.

In 2009, on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Corunna, a commemorative plaque was installed in the park that describes the aftermath of the battle and the location of the ruins of the mill from that time.

8. Commemorative plaque

Cantón Grande, 5

A plaque can be seen on the façade of a building on Cantón Grande, 5 indicating the site where the house of local trader Genaro Fontenla was located. Fontenla’s house served as a makeshift refuge for General Moore when he was dying of the wounds inflicted by a cannonball during the Battle of Elviña on 16 January 1809.

The inscription on the plaque reads: “In memory of General Sir John Moore who died in the Battle of Corunna while protecting the embarkation of British troops on 16 January 1809”.

According to some witnesses, at around 5 in the afternoon of the 16th, a French artillery unit at the Galiacho Rock opened fire on the site where Moore was supervising his troops at that time. A cannonball tore off part of his left shoulder and clavicle, and the forceful impact dismounted him from his horse. Moore rose to his feet, and Captain Hardinge applied an emergency dressing with the sash to stop the bleeding.

Due to the severity of the injuries, Moore’s subordinates improvised a stretcher and took him away from the front line. A group of soldiers carried the wounded man on the stretcher for almost 4 km and arrived at Genaro Fontenla’s house around 6.30 pm. Military surgeons treated General Moore on a makeshift bed in the living room but, around 9.00 pm, the gallant officer succumbed to his wounds. In the four hours since he was injured, Moore had sufficient time and lucidity to convey his last wishes and learn of the army’s successful evacuation.

9. Oil painting of the Battle

Palacio Municipal (Praza María Pita)

The Palacio Municipal or the City Hall of A Coruña is not only the headquarters of the local administration but also an art gallery that houses the artworks of the Prado Museum and of the prominent Galician artists. One of the most outstanding works in its collection is a large painting of The Battle of A Coruña, created in 2002 by Jano Muñoz (A Coruña, 1971).

The painter revealed that “The Battle of A Coruña” was his first large-format painting (250 x 300 cm) and an important condition of the commission was to ensure authenticity in the characters’ outfits, the topography of the battlefield in 1809, and the battle’s evolution. To incorporate more veracity into the painting, the artist used techniques dating back to the 19th century.

In 1809, the British general Sir John Moore was aware of his weak position against the army of Marshal Soult, one of the war heroes of Austerlitz, and both contingents, the pursuer and the pursued, commenced a race towards the Galician ports of Vigo and A Coruña that culminated in the Battle of Elviña.

The painting of the battle depicts the main confrontation between the British and French armies in the surroundings of the Herculine city. The result was predictable: the British army’s withdrawal and the fall of A Coruña into the hands of the French. However, Soult failed in his attempt to destroy Moore’s expeditionary force, as the navy was able to evacuate it successfully through the port of A Coruña.

Jano Muñoz’s painting stands out for its historicity thanks to The Royal Green Jackets Association of A Coruña that acted as his historical advisor for this work.

10. Port of A Coruña

Avenida do Parrote

The port of A Coruña on Avenida do Parrote street was the evacuation point for the British expeditionary force trying to flee Marshal Soult’s army that was far superior in strength. The Battle of Elviña, also known as the Battle of Corunna, was planned by General Moore in order to buy time to embark the troops on the navy ships.

General Moore’s approach was quite risky since a powerful storm had kept the Royal Navy anchored in Vigo and reaching the port of the Herculine city required four days. The outcome of this strategy was that the British rearguard managed to distract the enemy long enough and, although Moore was killed during the battle and the last ships left the port under French artillery fire, the casualties were not too severe.

The last contingent to embark on the evacuation ships was the Beresford Brigade, from San Amaro cove, and the last British soldiers to leave A Coruña for the port were a corporal and Captain Thomas Lloyd Fletcher, of the 23rd Regiment of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. On 18 January 1809, both soldiers had to close the gate of the tower called Torre de Abajo inside the walls using a pair of keys meant for this purpose. Legend has it that the keys got jammed and would not turn, so they used a bayonet to lock the gates, took the keys and never returned them. The keys with bayonet notches are now on display in the museum dedicated to Fletcher’s regiment in the Caernarfon Castle in Wales.

11. San Antón Castle

Avenida do Parrote

San Antón Castle, located on Paseo Alcalde Francisco Vázquez 2, currently houses the city’s Archaeological and Historical Museum. The castle’s origin dates back to the 16th century when the governing body of A Coruña decided to build a network of defensive castles in the port.

In 1589, San Antón Castle, which was still unfinished, proved its usefulness during the attack of the invasion fleet of the English Armada, or the Drake-Norris Expedition. However, the passage of time and the evolution of artillery and shipbuilding have rendered the Castle obsolete and deprived it of its defensive role. Since the 18th century, San Antón Castle has served as a prison and quarantine station for sailors who arrived with infectious diseases.

In 1958, the Ministry of Armed Forces transferred San Antón Castle to A Coruña City Council and, in 1964, it was chosen to be used as an Archaeological Museum and was finally inaugurated in 1968. In 1994, the Castle was added to the list of Spain’s artistic and historical monuments.

The Archaeological Museum of San Antón Castle offers a tour of the Castle and its grounds, a library and exhibition rooms that showcase interesting artefacts from prehistory to the different events that have marked the history of the city.

The exhibition is divided into three themes: medieval and heraldic art in the main courtyard; archaeology and prehistory on the ground floor of the Governor’s Residence; and the history of A Coruña, with an entire section dedicated to the Battle of Corunna, on the upper floor of the Governor’s Residence.

12. Sir John Moore Promenade

Paseo de Sir John Moore

This promenade is a walkway that encircles the gardens of San Carlos, burial site of Sir John Moore, general of the British expeditionary force who fell in combat during the Battle of Elviña in 1809.

The gardens are dominated by the funerary monument with a sarcophagus containing General Moore’s ashes. While walking along the promenade, you can observe four engraved commemorative plaques that have been added over the years.

In 1927, with the support of Mayor Manuel Casás, two plaques were installed on either side of the viewpoint’s access to honour the memory of the general. One of the plaques is engraved with an extract from Rosalía de Castro’s poem “Na tumba do Xeneral Sir John Moore”. The other plaque has verses from Charles Wolfe’s poem “The burial of Sir John Moore after Corunna.”

The third plaque bears part of the speech of the Duke of Wellington in the Battle of San Marcial: “Spaniards, dedicate yourselves to imitating the inimitable Galicians”. The assertion in English alludes to the courage demonstrated by the people of Coruña during the Battle of Elviña and by the Galicians during the war in the north.

A fourth plaque commemorates 172 British naval officers who died on 10 November 1890 in the wreck of the torpedo cruiser, HMS Serpent. The plaque was placed by the crew of HMS Lapwing as a remembrance of the deceased and indicates the shipwreck site located 38 miles away in Cape Vilán.

13. Military and History Museum

Praza Carlos I, 1

The Military and History Museum of A Coruña is located in Plaza de Carlos I, 1, near the gardens and bastion of San Carlos, and the funerary monument of General Moore. The now-defunct medieval convent of St. Francis once stood in place of the Museum. The successive buildings served different purposes such as jail, ammunition dump, artillery headquarters, and the quarters of the Civil Guard.

The museum began to gather its collection in 1858, from the 16th-century editions of the Castilian statutory code ‘Siete Partidas’ compiled by Alfonso X the Wise, to carriages, scale models, uniforms, flags and portable and exotic weaponry from overseas. With the end of the Spanish Civil War, the museum received an important collection of pieces from the Northwest Military Region and slowly grew its gallery over the following decades.

The Ministry of Defence and the A Coruña City Council established an agreement in 2009 to provide the museum with far superior technical infrastructure and expand the exhibition area twofold. With an area of 2,500 m², the Military and History Museum of A Coruña boasts an excellent permanent collection and several temporary exhibition rooms.

In 2011, the museum’s collection was enhanced by 400 articles from the Museum of the old Arms Factory of A Coruña. The permanent exhibition is composed of some 1,700 pieces ranging from the 18th century to today, whose main highlights are the objects related to the Spanish Army and the History of A Coruña.

14. San Carlos Gardens and Bastion

Paseo de Sir John Moore

San Carlos Gardens and Bastion next to the John Moore promenade is a public park built on what was once a fortress outside the medieval city walls. The development of A Coruña ended up integrating the castle into the urban area and, after years of disuse, it was restored between the 18th and 19th centuries as a park. Since 1809, the garden has been home to the mausoleum of the Scottish General John Moore, killed in the Battle of Elviña by the French army.

General Moore died around ten o’clock at night on 16 January 1809 of a fatal wound inflicted by a cannonball. Evacuated from the battlefield to the cantonments, he drew his last breath at the house of Genaro Fontenla. Early in the morning, a platoon of eight soldiers from the 71st Highland Regiment moved the body to a temporary grave, the grave of Brigadier General Anstruther who was killed two days before and next to whom General Moore had asked to be buried.

At dawn, the burial was carried out with haste and discretion to avoid the grave’s desecration by the French army after they took the city. Moore’s body was shrouded in a military coat and the Union Jack. This first grave was made next to the current mausoleum at the foot of the San Carlos stronghold. Marshal Soult, contrary to what the British army feared, treated the grave with absolute respect and even had a commemorative text inscribed on it.

When the French were finally defeated that same year, the Marquis of La Romana moved Moore’s ashes to their final resting place. In 1824, a simple plinth was added as the first funerary monument at the initiative of the British consul Richard Bartlett and was later replaced by the current neoclassical tomb.

In 1839, the Military Governor Francisco de Mazarredo decided to beautify the site to honour Sir John Moore’s memory and ordered the construction of romantic-style San Carlos Gardens and Bastion which has stood the test of time.

15. Napoleon Street

Calle de Napoleón

A Coruña is the only city in mainland Spain that, in addition to the detached territories of Melilla and the Canary Islands, pays tribute to him. Despite being a controversial figure, with a good side and a bad side, the history of A Coruña is linked to the Emperor. It was in A Coruña where one of the most crucial battles of the European war took place and marked its evolution. A large part of the British army was saved because of this conflict to be able to fight later in the Battle of Waterloo. It was also A Coruña that the epic pursuit between Napoleon Bonaparte and General John Moore was bound for.

On 11 July 2009, Mayor Javier Losada inaugurated Napoleon Bonaparte Street in the Vioño neighbourhood of A Coruña. The road connects the Avenida de Arteixo and the Calle de la Revolución Francesa (French revolution street) and is part of the six streets that were inaugurated by the councillor to honour France and the French Revolution.

The 2009 consistory recognised Bonaparte’s status as heir to the ideals of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution above his position as an Emperor who led an invasion of Spain. This city has always been a cradle of harmony between the pro-French spirit that reflects its extraordinary character as a welcoming city, its recognition of the British legacy during the Peninsular War and its strong links with the Atlantic Ocean. The city pays tribute to the historical figures and events associated with the armies of both sides during the Napoleonic wars that deserved the appreciation and participation of notable French and British figures.

It is worth mentioning that the entry of Soult’s army into a surrendered Herculine city, on 19 January 1809, did not prove as destructive as it did for other well-defended Spanish strongholds that did not capitulate. Soult, the conciliator with the people of A Coruña, ordered the distribution of bread and wine among the poor, although he also demanded that they made shoes for his soldiers and supplied veal every week for his kitchen. Furthermore, Soult honoured the recently deceased General Moore and ordered the creation of a tomb commensurate with his rank.

Napoleon Street is yet another symbol of the indelible impact that Napoleon Bonaparte left on the history of A Coruña.

16. Oza battery, chapel and lighthouse

The Oza Lighthouse is an infrastructure that was built in the 20th century on the site of a 16th century coastal defence battery. The first construction of the Oza battery dates to around 1639 and was built on the anchorage where Drake and Norris' army landed in 1589.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, a defensive system was created in the estuary of La Coruña through a network of fortifications, walls, and coastal artillery batteries. The fortified complex on the estuary of La Coruña is the work of Francisco González de Andía, Marquis of Valparaíso, commissioned by King Philip IV.

The Oza battery is part of the defensive system of the La Torre peninsula, along with the batteries of Durmideiras, Praderías and those of the cove of O Orzán. The Oza battery complements the San Diego battery and crosses fire with the Santa Cruz battery.

The original Oza battery is a star-shaped fort with ancillary buildings for troops and a defensive trench. The complex consists of two platforms: the high and low batteries, a parapet with arrow slits and a defensive wall on the landward side. The current complex is a work of the military architect Blas Gil de Bernabé dated 1797.

The historic centre of Oza was at the foot of the Oza beach and reached out from the Hermitage of Santa Maria de Oza. During the battle of Elviña on 16th January 1809, General Moore placed one of his three defensive lines in the Oza mountain range. After a day of skirmishes and uncertain outcome, the British took advantage of the night to stealthily slip away from the battlefield and board the transports anchored in the port of La Coruña.

At dawn on 17th January, when the French discovered the British retreat, they stationed their artillery at Santa Margarita and San Diego to bombard the last ships. The evacuation fleet recorded the loss of a couple of transports and about 300 casualties, mostly from the King's German Legion. Moore's retreat resulted in the survival of 26,000 men out of a total of 34,000.

17. Santa Cruz Castle

The Santa Cruz Castle is part of the network of forts, walls and coastal batteries built to defend the estuary of La Coruña.

In May 1595, Drake's English counter-armada landed an invasion army in the municipality of Oza. In spite of the costly English defeat at the hands of the people of La Coruña, it is evident that the east bank of the estuary was an unprotected point and the San Antón Castle in the port was insufficient to defend La Coruña.

That same year the construction of new defensive fortifications and batteries to cover the entrance to the estuary began under the direction of General Diego das Mariñas. San Antón Castle is joined by San Diego Castle and Santa Cruz Castle, on the island with the same name in front of the city.

In 1640 the construction of the defences of the Santa Cruz Castle were completed and the batteries were installed. The cannon christened "El Barraco", with a range of circa 10 km, stands out. It was installed in time to prevent a French fleet from accessing the estuary. Once the risk of naval invasion disappeared in the 18th century, the building was no longer used and went through a period of abandonment. José Quiroga, who was the husband of Emilia Pardo Bazán, bought the castle at public auction in the 19th century and turned it into a family summer residence.

Blanca Quiroga, daughter of the writer, donated the Santa Cruz Castle to the army in 1939 which was to be used as a summer camp for military orphans of the Civil War. The fortress was used for this purpose until 1978 and then went through another period of abandonment. The municipality purchased the castle in 1989 and since 2001 it has been used as headquarters of the Centre for the Dissemination and Protection of the Environment (CEIDA).