Gibraltar City Hall
Encyclopedia
The Gibraltar City Hall is the city hall
for Gibraltar
, centrally located within the city at the west end of John Mackintosh Square
. It is the official residence
of the Mayor of Gibraltar
.
built in 1819 by Aaron Cardozo, a prosperous merchant of Jewish Portuguese
descent who had settled in Gibraltar, as his family home. It was the grandest private mansion ever seen in Gibraltar. The three-storey
house dominated John Mackintosh Square.
It was erected on the site of the old hospital and chapel of La Santa Misericordia (The Holy Mercy) and later prison. As a non Protestant, Cardozo was not legally allowed to own property in Gibraltar. However, as he had been a close friend of Nelson and had supplied his fleet, he was eventually granted a site to build a house in the Alameda on the condition that it be "an ornament" to the square. Its cost was about £
40,000.
After his death in 1834, his mansion was leased to John Ansaldo as a hotel, the Club House Hotel. It was bought in 1874 by Pablo Antonio Larios, a wealthy businessman and banker, Gibraltarian-born but member of a Spanish
family, the Larios, who completely refurbished the building. In 1922, his son Pablo Larios, Marquis of Marzales (Master of the Royal Calpe Hunt for 45 years), sold the building to the Gibraltar colonial authorities, which intended to turn it into a post office
. However, it eventually became the premises of the newly formed Gibraltar City Hall, which now houses the Mayor
's Parlour. The building was later extended (including a new storey and a new body to the North) modifying its original symmetry.
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
for Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, centrally located within the city at the west end of John Mackintosh Square
John Mackintosh Square
John Mackintosh Square is a main square in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It has been the centre of city life since the 14th century and takes its name from John Mackintosh, a local philanthropist...
. It is the official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Mayor of Gibraltar
Mayor of Gibraltar
His or Her Worship, the Mayor of Gibraltar, is currently the ceremonial official of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Mayor is appointed by the elected Members of Parliament and takes residency in the City Hall...
.
History
The building was a private mansionMansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
built in 1819 by Aaron Cardozo, a prosperous merchant of Jewish Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the Jewish communities of the Iberian peninsula and who shaped communities mainly in Western Europe and the Americas from the late 16th century on...
descent who had settled in Gibraltar, as his family home. It was the grandest private mansion ever seen in Gibraltar. The three-storey
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
house dominated John Mackintosh Square.
It was erected on the site of the old hospital and chapel of La Santa Misericordia (The Holy Mercy) and later prison. As a non Protestant, Cardozo was not legally allowed to own property in Gibraltar. However, as he had been a close friend of Nelson and had supplied his fleet, he was eventually granted a site to build a house in the Alameda on the condition that it be "an ornament" to the square. Its cost was about £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
40,000.
After his death in 1834, his mansion was leased to John Ansaldo as a hotel, the Club House Hotel. It was bought in 1874 by Pablo Antonio Larios, a wealthy businessman and banker, Gibraltarian-born but member of a Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
family, the Larios, who completely refurbished the building. In 1922, his son Pablo Larios, Marquis of Marzales (Master of the Royal Calpe Hunt for 45 years), sold the building to the Gibraltar colonial authorities, which intended to turn it into a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. However, it eventually became the premises of the newly formed Gibraltar City Hall, which now houses the Mayor
Mayor of Gibraltar
His or Her Worship, the Mayor of Gibraltar, is currently the ceremonial official of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Mayor is appointed by the elected Members of Parliament and takes residency in the City Hall...
's Parlour. The building was later extended (including a new storey and a new body to the North) modifying its original symmetry.