King Alfonso X 'the Wise' commissioned the Royal Shipyards in 1252. In all, 17 naves or bays were built on what were then the sandy banks of the Guadalquivir. After some years as a customs shed, it became an army arsenal and warehouse in the 18th century, then languished until 1993. It's now being restored and is destined to be the splendid new home of the city's maritime museum.