French naval shipbuilding according to the Dutch newspaper Bredasche courant dated 10 August 1856

A news item dated Paris 7 August reported that recently at Cherbourg the keels of 2 new steam ships of the line namely the Ville de Nantes and the Sebastopol each of 90 guns and 900 hp were laid down while on stocks were all ready 3 other ships of the line of which the building was started earlier.