Grand Casemates
| Grand Casemates barracks | |
|---|---|
| Part of Fortifications of Gibraltar | |
| Grand Casemates Square, Gibraltar | |
  Grand Casemates barracks | |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Gibraltar |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1770 |
The Grand Casemates barracks is a building in Grand Casemates Square, Gibraltar, that was originally a fortified barracks and casemate.
Construction of the Grand Casemates bombproof barracks began in the 1770s, but the building was only completed in 1817.[1][2] Hygiene was primitive. In 1865 there was an outbreak of Cholera in the barracks, with several soldiers dying.[3] In 1868 ablutions and bath rooms had recently been fitted up in the barracks, Jenning's fitments (flush toilets) had been installed in the soldier's latrines and the drainage system overhauled.[4] However, as of 1874 none of the barracks in Gibraltar had baths, and Grand Casemates was the only one with footpans that could be used to hold water for the men to wash themselves.[5]
For a period, the barracks were home to about two thousand workers from Morocco.[6] More recently, Grand Casemates has been restored and converted for commercial use with restaurants and shops.[7] The building today houses an arts and crafts exhibition hall.[8]
References
Citations
- ^ Casemate Square - GTG.
- ^ Finlayson & Fa 2006, p. 31.
- ^ Great Britain. House of Commons 1875, p. 50ff.
- ^ Army medical department 1870, p. 53.
- ^ Great Britain. House of Commons 1874, p. 60.
- ^ Facaros & Pauls 2008, p. 230.
- ^ Finlayson & Fa 2006, p. 54.
- ^ Gibraltar - Main Sights.
Sources
- Army medical department (1870). Army medical department Report for the year 1868. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - "Casemate Square". Gibraltar Travel Guide. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
- Facaros, Dana; Pauls, Michael (2008-04-15). Andalucia, 8th. New Holland Publishers. ISBN 978-1-86011-389-5. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Finlayson, Clive; Fa, Darren (2006-10-31). The Fortifications of Gibraltar 1068-1945. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-016-1. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - "Gibraltar - Main Sights: Places to See". Andalucia.com. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
- Great Britain. House of Commons (1874). Accounts and papers of the House of Commons. Ordered to be printed. p. 60. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Great Britain. House of Commons (1875). Reports from commissioners. House of Commons. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)