In the surroundings of the navy headquarters building, we find the Herrera gardens which were designed in 1885 by the engineer Andrés Comerma y Batalla. They command the best views of the arsenal as they are located above a steep wall. Among the species present, the old magnolias are of particular interest. The centre of the garden is occupied by a statue of one of the most brilliant Spaniards in history: Jorge Juan y Santacilia. He is positioned on a pedestal and is pointing to the arsenal which he helped to design and build, while he holds below his arm a copy of his work “Maritime Examination” which was a text book in numerous European countries. As an aside, it is worth pointing out that the decorative swastikas on the fence that encloses the garden come from old Celtic decorative traditions.