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SAN ROQUE
CITY CENTRE:
The so-called “Very Noble and Most Loyal City of San Roque, Gibraltar in Exile” was officially founded in 1706. In spite of the fact this typical white-washed town was established by the Spanish inhabitants of Gibraltar on 4th August 1704.
The foundation was a historical event of enormous significance: a powerful Anglo-Dutch fleet, commanded by Admiral Rooke took the Fortress of Gibraltar and hoisted the Union Jack during the Spanish War of Succession.
Five thousand proud Spanish Gibraltarians rejected the British offer to remain in the city, leaving in mass. They settled on this hill where the old Saint Roque Shrine, built in 1508, was situated, overlooking the usurped city.
The inhabitants of the Rock brought their most precious belongings with them as well as their priceless relics. Examples of the legacy of Spanish Gibraltar are proven by the Standard of Gibraltar (1502), which is said to have been embroidered by Juana la Loca (Joan the Mad), or the Royal Warrant (1502), granted by the Catholic Monarchs its titles, authorities and coat of arms. In addition, the parish church features numerous statues from the 15th until 17th Century which were also brought from Gibraltar. The Rock’s church records from 1556 until 1704 are preserved at the temple as well. The Historical Archives contain the municipal records from Gibraltar City Council from 1502 until 1704.
The old quarter of town
was declared a collection of listed historical buildings in
1975. Ciudad Condal.
The most notable monuments in the city are Saint Mary the
Crowned Parish Church (1735),
the Governor’s Palace (18th century) and the Bull Ring
(1853), the oldest one in the province of Cadiz and one of the oldest
ones in Andalusia. The most picturesque streets are San
Felipe (ancestral homes with typical patios), San Nicolás and
Historiador Montero. The most emblematic square is Plaza de
Armas in which the Red Cape and Sword Technique (modern
bullfighting) was invented in 1720.
The city offers three museums at present: Carteya Archaeological Museum, Luis Ortega Brú Sculpture & Iconography Museum and the Bullfighting Museum, featuring local bullfighting history.
The highlights of the festival season are Holy Week, declared an Event of Andalusian Tourist Interest and the Royal Fair. The Magna Procession on Good Friday is the most outstanding parade. This procession is unique in Andalusia because it is the only one held annually and includes fourteen different statues. The other big festive date is the Royal Fair (held since 1852) in August, which comes to an end with the Toro del Aguardiente Bull Run, dating back to 1649.
San Roque is the Historical Centre of the Gibraltar Area. A city tour is a must on your first visit to the area, ask the Tourist Office for details.
THE VILLAGES OF SAN ROQUE:
CAMPAMENTO
This village was founded due to the Great Siege of Gibraltar in 1782. This was the place where the Spanish forces established an important military camp to attack the Rock and gave place to its present name. The village was always closely linked to Gibraltarian Companies and this is why a racecourse was built here in 1916 by the Andalusian Horse Racing Company. These installations were built coinciding with the construction of the Campamento - La Línea road. During this period there were also a golf course, a polo field and a greyhound racing track.
ESTACIÓN DE SAN ROQUE
The village of Estación de San Roque (San Roque Station) was officially created in 1909, by virtue of a resolution adopted a year earlier in the month of December. The new village was developed due to the new railway line between Algeciras and Bobadilla, the first section of which was inaugurated in June 1890. The present village, then known as “El Loro” (The Parrot), started to grow around the railway station.
GUADARRANQUE
This old fishing village takes its name from the river as it is situated at the river mouth. The original part of the village, founded in 750 B.C., can be found close by at the ancient city of Carteya, in an area known today as Meadow Hill (Cerro del Prado). A large number of civilisations inhabited this place. It was also the first Roman colony to achieve the title from the Senate in Rome. The city was involved in the 2nd Punic War and the Civil War in which Caesar and Pompey feuded at the end of the Roman Republic. Strabo, Pliny and Pomponius Mela wrote about this city, which even minted its own coins.
GUADIARO
This village originates from the nearby Roman settlement of Barbesula was located on a low-lying area near the River Guadiaro. Some historians interpret the place name “Guadiaro” as a Latin version of the Greek name Chrysus, with the Arabic prefix Wadi (wadi-aureus). In 400 B.C. the River Chrysus is quoted as a provisions and trading point for the eastern part of the Strait of Gibraltar.
In the 17th century there were several country estates in the area, as well as the popular Guadiaro Roadside Inn, situated on Cortijo Grande country estate land. When the English and Dutch forces occupied Gibraltar in 1704, some of the inhabitants from the Rock came to this area. In 1709, “Gibraltar City Council in the fields of San Roque” established the Guadiaro river boat prices.
MIRAFLORES
This housing estate is located next to the Miraflores Roadside Inn, which was founded in 1916. It was one of the most well-known ones in the Gibraltar Area. During the Second World War German and Italian spies haunted the inn as they were operating in the area. In addition, it was also the popular place among the military instructors at the Provisional Sergeants Academy in San Roque.
PUEBLO NUEVO DE GUADIARO
The village of Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro was founded as a place of residence for people working in the Sotogrande Residential Area in the mid 1960’s. The plots of land were ceded to San Roque Borough Council by the Sotogrande firm in compliance with the Plan General for Urban Development. The first houses were built by the “Caja de Ahorros de Jerez” Savings Bank. The Gloria Fuertes State Primary School was also one of the first buildings to be erected.
PUENTE MAYORGA
In 1540 the Turks landed at the village of Puente Mayorga during a raid, destroying more than 200 barrels containing eighteen thousand gallons of wine which belonged to the church tithe. They also slaughtered 300 pigs which were grazing in the surrounding fields. There was already a settlement here at the time. Until the 1930’s the village had its own customs office and could have been the natural harbour for the Bay of Algeciras. The bridge we can see today over the Gallegos River, gave place to the name of the village and dates back to the 18th century.
PUERTO SOTOGRANDE
The Sotogrande Port was inaugurated in July 1987. In the early days of the Sotogrande Residential Area, the idea was to build a marina with artificial islands. Sotogrande S.A. bought the appropriate land on the left-hand side of the Guadiaro River for this very purpose. The construction of a small lake city marina with islands and riverside apartments was started at the beginning of the 1990’s, which is what can be seen today in the Marina area. At present the port is one of the most important recreational marinas in Spain with the best facilities and services for navigators as well as for tourists and residents.
SAN ENRIQUE
The influential Larios firm established this village as part of the Guadiaro Industrial and Agricultural Company in 1887 and included Los Álamos and Las Bóvedas country estates. During this period agricultural colonies started to be created and developed into small peasant villages. This is how San Enrique was founded, following the Larios Family’s tradition of naming these colonies after their members, in this case Enrique Croke Larios.
SOTOGRANDE
In 1964 Joseph McMicking, an American citizen living in the Philippines, used his exceptional foresight to lay the foundations of what is known today as one of the best residential tourism areas in Europe: Sotogrande and its first golf course, Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande. A year later in 1965 McMicking’s nephew, Enrique Zobel inaugurated the Sotogrande Polo Club’s first polo field, close to Guadalquitón beach and next to what today is El Cucurucho Beach Club.
At the beginning of the sixties, Sotogrande was a large uninhabited country area consisting of a series of country estates, namely Paniagua, Valderrama, El Conchudo, Los Cano and La Higuera. McMicking visited the area and came up with the idea of a residential estate where the future owner could have two options: to enjoy the tranquillity of the place and, from time to time, be able to visit the Costa del Sol.
TARAGUILLA
The name of the village appeared for the first time in 1582. It was mentioned in a document in which Constancia Rodríguez, who was the widow of Bartólome Carrillo, made a donation to Our Lady of the Defenceless Hospital in Gibraltar stating that it was “with the income from Taraguilla, an estate with vegetable patches and vineyards”. This place may have been where one of the Roman roads included in the so-called “Antonine Route” was situated. The present village is strongly linked to the frequent floods that occurred in Estación de San Roque before the Guadarranque Reservoir was built. Some of the flood victims were moved to dwellings erected by the Military Housing Board to give shelter to these families in the 1960’s.
TORREGUADIARO
This area was part of the existing coastal defence system which was operational from the 15th until the 19th century. The watch tower here may have been built at the end of the 15th century or at the beginning of the 16th century and was used as a shelter for travellers, cattle herdsmen and wood collectors from the area. In 1796 it had a canon and a company of guards. The present village was developed around a fishing village with fishermen originally from the coast of Malaga and the Gibraltar Area.
