Bateria de Sta. Engracia

Original antique view of the Santa Engracia Battery after its destruction on August 4, 1808, during the Sieges of Zaragoza, engraved by Fernando Brambila and Juan Gálvez and published in Cádiz in 1814. The scene depicts the ruins of this fortification in Zaragoza following the intense bombardment suffered during the first siege of the city by Napoleonic troops. The image shows collapsed walls, accumulated rubble, and the devastation caused by French artillery. The Santa Engracia Battery was part of Zaragoza’s defensive system during the Spanish War of Independence, which pitted Spanish forces against Napoleon’s army between 1808 and 1814. The two sieges of Zaragoza, in 1808 and 1809, were episodes of fierce urban resistance that caused thousands of casualties and the near-total destruction of the city. Fernando Brambila was an Italian painter and draughtsman settled in Spain, known for his topographical views and landscapes. Juan Gálvez worked as an engraver on numerous illustrated works. The technique used is copper engraving.