Statues / Monuments / Museums, Gibraltar

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This was a small but interesting Museum; and it seemed to be rather busy with visitors when I visited on the Saturday morning when I made my visit. There is a £2 admission charge and there is a small "shop" with a range of books and memorabilia.

It provides an overview of the history of the Gibraltar - military, social and geological.

The monument in the shape of the rock is one of the first things you see after crossing the airport runway into Gibraltar. It shows the various civilisations that have inhabited Gibraltar throughout history.

The Cradle of History monument represents some periods of Gibraltar's ancient history. It shows the skull of a Neanderthal Man, which was found here.

Apart from that the concrete monument includes one of the Pillars of Hercules and mentions of Phoenician, Roman and Moorish times, as well as an image of an anchor representing the Battle of Trafalgar.

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For those fans of Royalty who would like to enjoy the same view over Gibraltar as Queen Elizabeth once did, you’ll find a small viewpoint at Queens Road, close to the junction of this street and Cave Branch Road. OK, Gibraltar is not the same as it was in the 1950s, but at least it’s still British … The Queen’s visit on May 10th and 11th 1954 was by now the only one by the present Monarch and was done in a time when tensions with Spain arose again. For those who can’t get enough of royalty, have a look at Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Cypher in the Alameda Gardens.

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General Wladyslaw Sikorski was the leader of the exiled Polish government during WWII and a symbol for Polish resistance at this time. On July 4th 1943, Sikorski returned from an inspection of Polish forces in the Middle East. It was necessary to make a technical stopover in Gibraltar before returning to London. At 23:07 local time, Sikorskis plane took off from Gibraltar Airport and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off. After Sikorski’s death, the role of the Polish within the allied forces diminished as his successors lacked the authority Sikorski had. Rumours about an assesination attempt quikcly arose, but none has been confirmed. It seems that it was just a tragic aviation accidnet. A monument, made out of an old propeller blade, was placed near the Cemetery. Two commemorative plaques, one in Polish and one in English, can be found in the Great Siege tunnels.

In the ancient world, the rock of Gibraltar was believed to be one of the “Pillars of Hercules”, called “Mons Calpe”. The other one is said to be Monte Hacho, called “Mons Abile”. According to ancient mythology, they support the world. Together they are said to form a gate to the Mediterranean, which is depicted in several documents, including the Spanish coats of arms, throughout the centuries.

To get an overview of Gibraltar’s history from the geological formation of the rock to the current dispute with Spain, Gibraltar Museum is the right place. A 15-minute-film will give you a short overview while you should plan around 45 minutes for the rest of the exhibition. The exhibition is not as large as those in other historical museums, but still worth a visit. The house stands on the remains of a 14th century moorish bathhouse which can are part of the exhibition. As of 2009, admission fee was 2 pounds.

This monument was placed to remember all the different historical events connected to Gibraltar. It ranges from the discovery of the first Neanderthal skull ever discovered to the military strategic point it was in WWII. The monument is located next to the runway, directly at the gate to cross the runway. It is on the southwestern side, meaning on the right before the runway when coming from the city.

Experience and enjoy Gibraltar's fascinating 200 million year history, with an audio visual presentation and several galleries displaying original artefacts, old prints ad photographs. The Rock's rich and diverse natural history is also represented while, the lower part of the building houses what is arguably the best preserved Moorish Bath House in Europe, dating from the 14th Century

1000hrs - 1800hrs Monday to Friday
1000hrs - 1400hrs Saturday
Closed on Sunday
Admission: Adults 2 pounds, Children under 12yrs 1 pound

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Admiral Nelson of the British Naval Fleet died at the Battle of Trafalgar on HMS Victory. His body was actually put in a barrel of brandy to conserve it. The Victory then sailed to Gibraltar and his body was brought ashore. He died on 21st October 1805 but didnt not arrive in Gibraltar until 28th October due to bad weather conditions. His remains were then taken to England and he was interred in St Pauls Cathedral in London on 9th January 1806.

As it was 200 years since his death this statue of Nelson has been erected in Gibraltar and unveiled in Gibraltar on 28th October 2005.