Grand Casemates Square (colloquially Casemates Square or Casemates) is the larger of the two main

squares In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...

within the city centre of

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

(the other being

John Mackintosh Square John Mackintosh Square (colloquially The Piazza) is a main square in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It has been the centre of city life since the 14th century and takes its name from John Mackintosh, a local philanthropist. Notab ...

). The square takes its name from the British-built

Grand Casemates The Grand Casemates is a building in Grand Casemates Square, Gibraltar, that was originally a fortified barracks and casemate. It is beside Grand Casemates Gates, which leads through the former town wall. History Construction of the Grand Casema ...

, a

casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which artillery, guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to Ancient history, antiquity, th ...

and bombproof

barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...

at the northern end of the square completed in 1817. Located at the northern end of Main Street, the square is lined with numerous

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

s and restaurants and acts as the gateway into Gibraltar's city centre for most tourists.

History

Grand Casemates Square dates back to Gibraltar's Moorish period when the place was first fortified, making it as old as the city itself.

Moorish period

The square is built on sand that was once a beach. In May 1160 Moroccans sent by the Almohad ruler

Abd al-Mu'min Abd al Mu'min (c. 1094–1163) ( ar, عبد المؤمن بن علي or عبد المومن الــكـومي; full name: ʿAbd al-Muʾmin ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAlwī ibn Yaʿlā al-Kūmī Abū Muḥammad) was a prominent member of the Almohad move ...

landed to lay the foundations of the first substantial settlement. This "City of Victory" (Medinat al-Fath) was small and included the area within the

Moorish Castle The Moorish Castle is the name given to a medieval fortification in Gibraltar comprising various buildings, gates, and fortified walls, with the dominant features being the Tower of Homage and the Gate House. Part of the castle itself also house ...

and the land just below. It was this new ruler who changed the name of the rock to ''Jabal al-Fath'' meaning Mount of Conquest. This land was an

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species o ...

used by the

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

s to beach their

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

s. After the Siege of Gibraltar in 1309,

Ferdinand IV of Castile Ferdinand IV of Castile (6 December 1285 – 7 September 1312) called the Summoned (''el Emplazado''), was King of Castile and León from 1295 until his death. His upbringing and the custody of his person were entrusted to his mother, Queen Mar ...

gave orders that a

galley house A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

be built where his ships could be repaired. This house gradually sank into the sand over the next few centuries.

Spanish period

In the late 15th century a gate in the wall near

Water Gate A watergate (or water gate) is a fortified gate, leading directly from a castle or town wall directly on to a quay, river side or harbour. In medieval times it enabled people and supplies to reach the castle or fortification directly from the ...

was opened to let galleys in. The building of the

Old Mole ''Old Mole'' was a radical New Left oriented underground newspaper published in Cambridge, Massachusetts from September 1968 to September 1970. ''Old Mole'' was continued by a second volume titled ''The Mole'', which published five issues from Nov ...

in the 1570s led to the passage

silting Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation (temporary or ...

and the galley house became unusable. The area of Grand Casemates Square formed part of the old town es, Villa Vieja during Spanish times, being walled with its own gates and towers. Early 17th century plans refer to this area as ''La Barcina''.

British period

Last public hanging at Grand Casemates Square

Following the problems the Spanish faced with the buildings sinking into the soft wet ground, the British began to construct fortress walls and battlements on higher, more solid ground. In 1770,

chief engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer's ...

William Green began preparatory work for the construction of

as bombproof

on the square's northern flank. However, its construction was not started until after the Great Siege of 1779-1783 and it was finished in 1817 under the

governorship A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of General Sir

George Don George Don (29 April 1798 – 25 February 1856) was a Scottish botanist and plant collector. Life and career George Don was born at Doo Hillock, Forfar, Angus, Scotland on 29 April 1798 to Caroline Clementina Stuart and George Don (b.1756), p ...

. After the Great Siege the British decided to demolish most buildings within the square which had suffered great damage. This opened up the area into an

esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

which could be used for public events such

military parade A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...

s and

public execution A public execution is a form of capital punishment which "members of the general public may voluntarily attend." This definition excludes the presence of only a small number of witnesses called upon to assure executive accountability. The purpose ...

Capital punishment

Grand Casemates Square was once the site of public military

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

s, with the last one being held in 1864.

Archaeology

Following excavations during the refurbishment of the square in the 1990s, archeological remains of a galley house were unearthed. These foundations are still on display in the square.

21st century

Nowadays Grand Casemates Square has become a commercial hub housing numerous pubs, bars, restaurants and shops following the refurbishment of the square in the 1990s to replace a car park which occupied half the square. The square is also used to host various cultural events from live open-air concerts, to National Day celebrations. In 2012 the square was host to celebration for

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

's Diamond Jubilee celebration which was attended by

the Earl ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

and

Countess of Wessex Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex (the lands of the W ...

Monuments

Monuments found within the square include: *

Gibraltar Defence Force The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is part of British Forces Gibraltar for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop. The regiment is ...

* Koehler gun

Notable fortifications in Grand Casemates Square

Grand Casemates Gates Grand Casemates Gates, formerly Waterport Gate, provide an entrance from the northwest to the old, fortified portion of the city of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at Grand Casemates Square. Background The Rock of Gibraltar, linke ...

Gallery

File:Grand Casemates Square and Moorish Castle.jpg, Old postcard of Gibraltar depicting Grand Casemates Square and the

, 1909. File:History Alive re-enactment.jpg, Re-enactment of the

Ceremony of the Keys Ceremony of the Keys may refer to: *Ceremony of the Keys (Edinburgh) The Ceremony of the Keys is held in Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, at the start of the British monarch's week-long residence there in July. Soon after the monarch's arrival, in t ...

at Grand Casemates Square, Gibraltar by ''History Alive'', 2007. File:Gibraltar Defence Force Monument 2.jpg,

Monument at Grand Casemates Square, Gibraltar, 2009. File:Queen's Birthday Parade, Gibraltar 2010.jpg,

Governor of Gibraltar The governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the ...

Sir

Adrian Johns Vice Admiral Sir Adrian James Johns, (born 1 September 1951) is a former senior officer in the Royal Navy, serving as Second Sea Lord between 2005 and 2008. He was the Governor of Gibraltar between 2009 and 2013. Early life and education Joh ...

holding the Keys of Gibraltar at Grand Casemates Square during the

Queen's Birthday Parade Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed every year in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of the British Army. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has been a tradition of British infantry regi ...