In 1770, Charles III, King of Spain from 1759 until 1788, commissioned architect Juan Caballero to design this customs house near the port. During the Napoleonic Wars, it served as the headquarters for occupying French troops and the retention center for captive King Ferdinand VII. On March 19, 1812, this was the scene of the first reading of the Political Constitution of the Spanish Monarchy. Today, it is the Ayuntamiento de Cádiz (Town Hall) called the Palace of the Provincial Council of Cadiz.
