The Convent (Gibraltar)
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| The Convent | |
.JPG/250px-The_Convent_(Gibraltar).JPG) The Convent |
|
| Building | |
|---|---|
| Former Names | Convent of Franciscan Friars |
| Type | |
| Architectural Style | early Georgian with later Victorian features being introduced |
| Location | Gibraltar |
| Current Tenants | Sir Robert Fulton (governor) |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction | |
| Completed | 1531 |
| Floor Count | 3 |
| Design Team | |
The Convent is the official residence of the Governor of Gibraltar since 1728.[1][2] It was originally a Convent of Franciscan Friars, hence its name, and was completed in 1531.[1]
The dining room at the Convent has the most extensive display of heraldry in the British Commonwealth.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The Convent is situated towards the southern end of Main Street. A guard mount takes place at the main entrance a few days a week conducted by soldiers of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. The Changing of the Guard is also conducted outside the Convent a few times a year.
[edit] King's Chapel
The garrison church adjacent to the Convent was renamed Queen's Chapel during Queen Victoria's reign,[1] but Queen Elizabeth II restored it back to its original title. Inside the chapel, beneath the colours of several British regiments, lie the remains of the wife of the Spanish governor of 1648,[2] together with those of the British governors Charles O'Hara and Sir Colin Campbell, who were laid to rest in 1802 and 1813, respectively.[2]
[edit] Ghost story
The convent is supposedly haunted by the ghost of a nun, known as "Lady Grey."[4][5] The legend is neither proved nor disproved, but she is said to roam the corridor outside one of the guest rooms. It is said that she considers it to be her room, as she was walled up alive in it.[2][6]
There are various versions of the "Grey Lady" story,[7] the most popular being that she was the daughter of an affluent Spanish family who had married against her father's wishes. When he learnt of it, he placed her in the "Convent of Santa Clara" situated in the Main Street, where under the eyes of the Mother Superior, the girl was forced to take her vows and become a nun. Her lover was not discouraged; he joined the Franciscan Order and settled in the Convent. The couple are said to have met in the confessional of the King's Chapel where they hatched plans for their escape.[8][2]
On the night of their escape they made their way to the harbour where a boat was waiting for them. However, the alarm was raised and in the ensuing chase the lover fell into the water and drowned. The bride was arrested for breaking her vows and as punishment was walled up alive in one of the rooms in the Convent.[9]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Ministry of Culture. Government of Gibraltar. Retrieved on 2007-09-01.
- ^ a b c d e Tourist Information. Gibnet. Retrieved on 2007-09-01.
- ^ Bond, page. 103
- ^ Bond, page. 103
- ^ At this time of year haunting comes to mind. The Gibraltar Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-09-05.
- ^ Jackson, William (1992). The Governor's Cat, First edition, Northampton, United Kingdom: Gibraltar Books Ltd. ISBN 0948466235.
- ^ Gibraltar’s Royal Governor - Dorothy Ellicott
- ^ Bond, page. 103
- ^ Bond, page. 103
[edit] References
- Gibraltar tourist brochure. Official Government of Gibraltar London website. Retrieved on 2007-09-01.
- Gibraltar’s Architecture - The Story of a People. Gibraltar heritage (2002). Retrieved on 2007-09-01.
- Bond, Peter (2003). "The Third Century 1904-2004", 300 Years of British Gibraltar, 1704-2004. Gibraltar: Peter-Tan Publishing Co..
- Jackson, William (1992). The Governor's Cat, First edition, Northampton, United Kingdom: Gibraltar Books Ltd. ISBN 0948466235.
