The Gibraltar Trinity Lighthouse

The Gibraltar Lighthouse is the only Trinity Lighthouse outside the United Kingdom.

Located on the southern tip of Gibraltar at Europa Point, the lighthouse is still in use and its light can be seen from a distance of 30 miles.

The first that is known of a navigational light at Europa Point is in connection with the famous shrine of Our Lady of Europe, wherein, so it is recorded, a light was always kept burning before the Virgin which was a great boon to mariners.

The shrine received may votive offerings especially silvery lamps from the Commanders of galleys who it is said also made provision for a constant supply of oil. Prince Juan Doria, son of the famous Genoese sailor Andrea Doria presented a silver lamp in 1568 as a thank offering for the capture of five Turkish galleys in the Strait.

I have been unable to find any record of a light at Europa subsequent to the capture of Gibraltar in 1704 until the present lighthouse was built. The foundation stone ceremony was conducted by Governor Woodford on Thursday, 26th April, 1838 and I have found a very full report of this ceremony in the Gibraltar Chronicle of 28th April 1838.

The paper states that it was generally understood to be the Governor’s wish that nothing either of military or civil spectacle which could add to the interest of so rare and important an event, should be omitted on this occasion.