Prospero Jorge de Verboom’s General Project for the Fortifications of Pamplona in 1726

Abstract

On January 10th 1710, Prospero Jorge de Verboom was appointed Quartermaster General and General Engineer of all the Spanish armies. Felipe V wanted to establish an organizational system based on the French model of Louis XIV, who had granted all responsibility of French fortifications to Sebastien le Prestre de Vauban. Verboom had received an exquisite war training and experience, participating in war campaigns with Van Coehoorn and Vauban in the Netherlands. From the experience and skills of Verboom some high quality fortification projects have remained. In this paper a technical assessment of the significance that the project Verboom for the fortifications of Pamplona in 1726 had is made. During the second half of XVII century numerous fortification projects had been stablished indicating the need for some external strongholds. Verboom stated two outstanding engineers who undertake two fortification projects. Firstly in 1720 Chief Engineer Ignacio Sala held a general project, mainly undertaking improvements in the citadel and the Front of France. That same year, Alejandro de Rez, Director Engineer of the district, developed an ambitious general project. Five counterguards in front of the bastions were proposed for the citadel. With respect to the stronghold he indicated some intervention points, which involved the construction of a series of advanced fortification works. The king ordered all to be referred to Verboom in order to prepare the final project. Verboom would not be visiting Pamplona until 1726. Once realized the prescriptive recognition, a general project of great importance was developed. Verboom masterfully resolved, in the short time he was in Pamplona, which fortifications should be executed, dramatically improving the projects carried out by engineers of the standing of Ignacio Sala or Alejandro de Rez. An extraordinary selected group of works and adjusted to the real possibilities of the budget of a stronghold of the importance of Pamplona was wisely established.