Juan Martín Cermeño

Juan Martín Cermeño, or Zermeño (Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca, 1700 – Barcelona, 1773) was a Spanish architect, military engineer and lieutenant general.

Life and work Juan Martín Cermeño, son of Domingo Martín Báez and Isabel Fernández Cermeño was born in Ciudad Rodrigo. In 1719 he joined the Royal Engineers Corps. He reached the rank of field marshal in 1748, between 1749 and 1756 he had been an acting general commander of the military engineers.

From a young age he began collaborating in construction works. In 1721 Cermano reformed the entire exterior circuit of the Old Town Melilla and that same year, Cermeño married Antonia de Paredes Fernández, in Melilla, His son, Pedro Martín Cermeño, took over the works in 1756.

In 1758 he was appointed Governor of Oran and held the position until 1765. Nine years later his son Pedro Martín Cermeño, also a military engineer, occupied the same position.

The Marqués de la Mina also commissioned Cermeño with the project of the refurbishing works of the Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona. The old fort was demolished and rebuilt in 1779.

Cermeño was involved in city planning of Manila, and fortification of various places including Plaza de Cartagena, Castle of the Moors and planning the expansion of the defenses in Montevideo.