places of Interest in SAN ROQUE
The Chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Visitación dates back to the 18th Century and it is where you can see, amongst many images, the depiction of the penitent being brought back from Gibraltar. The adjoining building housed the Hospital for the poor, founded in 1776 and run by the same religious order of the Chapel. The sisters had a hard time doing their charitable work looking after the poor and infirm, especially during the French occupation. By 1909 the building was in ruins, but thanks to local support led by Manuel Aranda Ureba, it was rebuilt. In 1913 the Sisters of Charity were replaced by the Franciscans of Buen Consejo, who left San Roque in 2001.
The Ermita de San Roque (San Roque Hermitage) was built in 1801 in the neoclassic style and it houses the image of San Roque. Each year in the third week of May, the village celebrates the Romería in San Roque. The image is carried proudly out of the temple and leads the way in a procession that wends its way toward the Pinar del Rey (King's Pine Grove), ultimately coming back again to its normal place of rest in the Ermita once again. The whole village take part in this, very pretty traditional event.
The Santa Maria La Coronada Parish Church has been declared a monument of historic and artistic worth. From the central nave there are two aisles, separated by Tuscan columns, supporting the arches. Construction began in 1735 on the foundations of the ancient site of the 'Ermita de San Roque', where most of the Spanish had come after the conflict in Gibraltar. The building takes its name from the main church in Medina Sedonia because the Duke of Medina Sodonia had been given royal rights over Gibraltar, prior to it being taken by the British and so he took San Roque very much to his heart. Records of births, deaths and marriages, are kept in the church, having been salvaged by Father Juan Romero in 1704 when Gibraltar was taken by the British. You can also see the sepulchre of the poet and Colonel, Jose Cadalso, who died on 28 February, 1782, in one of the military attempts to regain Spanish ownership of Gibraltar.
Near the church, in the Plaza de la Iglesia, is the 18th Century building of the Palacio de los Gobernadores. This was the military headquarters for the Gibraltar area during turbulent times. After the Peace of Versailles in 1783, San Roque enjoyed a period of relative calm, so in 1808 General Castaños transferred the headquarters to Algeciras. The building was officially recognized as being a monument of historic and artistic worth on 2 March 1972. It now houses three museums; The Monographic Museum of Carteia, Pictures of Castilla Zurita and Cruz Herrera and the Luis Ortega Brú Museum.
Find all this at C/ Rubín Celis, 1, 11360 San Roque. Tel: +(0034) 956 781587
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 - 14:00 and 18:00 to 20:00
Saturday: 11:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 20:00 Sunday: 11:00 - 14:00
Monday Closed.
Luis Ortega Brú Museum comes highly recommended while you are in San Roque. For a fuller enjoyment of the visit, it is worth knowing something of his life and work to help you to understand something of his inner struggle. The work of San Roque sculptor Luis Ortega has been described as being both 'tender and vital'. In the 160 works on display you can appreciate the many different styles used, from baroque to new abstract and expressionist trends. His sensitivity and originality convey the true forces behind every day life. Born in San Roque on 10 September 1916, his family tradition was pottery. He went to the local San Roque Academy of Drawing and later went on to the School of Applied Art in the neighbouring town of La Línea. This was the only artistic training he was to receive. At 19 the Spanish Civil War broke out. His parents were shot and he endured life in prisons and concentrations camps. These events of pain and suffering did not deter him from carrying on with his art. After all his suffering and hardships, still the strength and tenderness came through in his art. Ortega died in Seville on 21 November 1982.
The Casa Consistorial (Town Hall) in the Plaza de Armas was built in 1841. This fine construction houses the original document of 1502 whereby the Reyes Católicos conferred the Gibraltar Coat of Arms to San Roque, which to this day remains as such. Furthermore, this is where the official banner, of San Roque is also kept, famously embroidered by the hand of the daughter of the Reyes Católicos.
Tel : +(0034) 956 780106
Carteia. (Bda. Guadarranque, 11360 San Roque) is a very important archaeological site. Bizarrely located next to the Cepsa oil refinery, these Roman ruins are extensive and offer a detailed glimpse into ancient Andalucia. For more information on the history of the site, and for access information and opening times, see our Carteia Roman Archaeological Site page href>
Tel: + (00 34) 956698511.
Barbésula, is less well knon but here you can see Roman remains, including a temple.