Alfonso André André Responsible for the commercial area and advertising expansion of the Marinetea. Former Head of the transfer of the Major Admiral will illustrate and narrate the past and future of the ETEA.

"We must recover the lost pieces of the museum and make the museum permanent to remember the history of all those who have worked or studied at ETEA"

Q_What is Marinetea?

R_ Non-profit association formed by all those people who served at the Ríos Naval Base or in the Navy, and who wish to remember the moments lived as well as support the constitution of the permanent museum with the ETEA objects that are found today at the Ferrol naval base.

Q_ What function did these elegant ETEA buildings have that still shine showing the splendor they once housed?

R_It is about the ETEA School of Transmissions and Electricity of the Navy.

It is the Rios Naval Base, a military complex that was created in 1916, just like the Marín and Arosa Bases.

The most important missions that this military complex had are the Vickers-Elia mine magazine and the Torpedo Station according to the R.O. of 12/30/1916.

In the year 1916, in July and August, the lease of a farm and several buildings was studied, later in 1917, more than 60 areas were expropriated for an amount of 6,702.5pts. In total it occupied about 2,000 m². They are located inside the Ría de Vigo near Monte de A Guia, where the Church of Nosa Señora da Guía is located today.

Tunnels that will protect the explosive material are made in the mountain.
At the end of 1939 the School of Transmissions and Electricity of the Navy was created.
In 1951, by Ministerial Order of April 5 and due to progress in the works of the Ríos facilities, the name of Ríos Naval Station was changed to that of the Navy Transmission and Electricity School (ETEA).

_The following specialization courses for officers are being created:
In 1958, Electricity, Electronics and Communications. In 1964, the Tactical Communications courses for non-commissioned officers of the Navy were created. In 1969, the Tactical Communications specialty for officers of the Marine Corps was created. In 1971 the Navy Engineering courses began in the fields of Electricity and Electronics, they ended in 1987 and the Center for Electromagnetic Measurements (CEMEDEN) was created.

Unfortunately, in 1989, the services were transferred to other bases such as those of Ferrol and Cartagena and in August 2002, they ceased definitively.

This base was operational for 86 years. At present, repairs have already begun with children's play areas, skate park, bathrooms (both by the Xunta and the Concello) and to clean the area of ​​the Amancio Ortega Nursing Home.

Q_ What was the objective of the ETEA?

R_Under the protection of Admiral Godoy's Miranda law and the Naval Bases Law, the military bases of Ferrol, Vigo, Villagarcia, Marin and Mahon are created. Bases that, due to their favorable geostrategic position, will be the ones that supply cargo to torpedo boats, ships and submersibles.

Q_ Who owns the ETEA buildings today?

A_The Free Trade Zone sold them, so the CUVI now has the building in which it hopes to locate the Center for Marine Studies – Siemens building.

The Faraday building now belongs to the CUVI, which will bring the degree in Marine Sciences here.

The Kelvin building will be the Mariñas Research Institute (IIM). Until now, it was based in Bouzas.

Infirmary building, where the temporary ETEA museum is currently located, is intended to be used for a permanent ETEA museum.

The Amancio Ortega association is building a nursing home in another of the plots located in the ETEA

The basketball court and skate park will also be repaired, as well as the playgrounds and the installation of a cafeteria.

Q_Have citizens' signatures already been submitted to support the establishment of the ETEA permanent museum?

The Association presented more than a thousand signatures to request the support of the Xunta of the permanent museum with the ETEA objects that are today located at the Ferrol naval base.

Q_How often must the concession for holding the anchor be renewed?

A_ In a procedure before the port authorities, the possession of the anchor is signed for a period of 10 years. It was currently signed by the president of Marinetea, Carlos Pérez Rodríguez and by the president of the Port Authority, Jesús Vázquez Almuiña. Currently, its tenure has been extended until 2033.

Q_What movie was filmed in the ETEA facilities?

R_ "A Private Affair" directed by Ramón Campos with actors such as Angela Molina, Jean Reno, Aurea Garrido, Tito Valverde, etc.

Q_Where will the XIII Marinetea Concert Gala 2023 take place?

R_Cómo es tradicional every year is held at the Teatro García Barbón in Vigo. The partners meet every year in June.

The Music Unit of the Military Naval School and the Orfeón Santa Cecilia, formed by the Choirs of Cabral, Vincios de Vigo and Torneiros de Porriño-Pontevedra, and the Pardavila-Vigo Bagpipe Band participate

.

Q_What is being achieved with the signatures in support of the ETEA permanent exhibition and museum?

R_The need for a permanent museum and exhibition that has the support of citizens and all the officers and other personnel of the Rios Naval Base is beginning to be recognized.

It would also be important for the city of Vigo to recover all the pieces that allegedly went to the Ferrol Naval Base from the city due to its dismantling in 2002 and that the Marinetea association is demanding to relocate them to the museum. Currently the provisional museum is located in the old infirmary.

Recently, on the 2nd, he gave the President of Marinetea the signatures in support of the permanent exhibition and museum at the ETEA.

From Smartvigo we send you all our support and we hope that soon there will be a building as a permanent museum in the ETEA, which will allow us to remember the past of the Ríos Naval Base.

Ania Casal Rodríguez.

Other sources:

"ETEA His Chronicle" by Ricardo Fernandez.