Gibraltar was uninhabited during ancient times due in part to a lack of easily accessible water to support a permanent population but in the 11^th Century the Moors established a fortified stronghold there in response to military threats from the Christian kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. The Moors obtained water through roof catchment of rainfall, shallow wells in the Quaternary sands to the west of the Rock of Gibraltar, and storing local surface runoff in cisterns.

The Moors also took advantage of a number of emerging natural springs aligned along the North-South fault zone between the Gibraltar calcareous rocks and the siliceous Flysch Units. These natural springs provided enough fresh water for the cultivation of land along the western slopes of the Rock.

In the 14^th century, the Moors further tapped into these natural spring wells constructing an aqueduct that collected water from the Red Sands, an area south of the town and transported along underground earthen pipes some 1,350 metres (4,430 feet) to a bath house, now within the Gibraltar Museum. The brilliant engineer al-Hajj Ya'ish was appointed to oversee construction of these works using earthenware pipes going along and within the old Moorish line wall to carry this water into the town.

This aqueduct originated in the South Barracks area, where a natural spring well still exists, and travelled all the way down to the Water Gate, where the Moorish ships and galleys watered.

This water, purified by an immense body of sand before arriving at the aqueduct, was reputed to be extremely good. It was greatly valued for its medicinal qualities and many would come from other parts of Spain to drink it in later ages.

Gibraltar Museum open-air archaeological exhibit of an excavation spanning seven centuries of Gibraltar’s history. Fourteenth Century well; sixteenth Century cistern, nineteenth century water channels.

Following the Spanish conquest of Gibraltar, the aqueduct was extensively modified and extended a further 240m (787 feet) towards a fountain located within the western end of La Plaza Major (now John Mackintosh Square). Today, Fountain Ramp preserves in its name the location of the aqueduct's original terminus.¹ Work on this aqueduct to bring water into the town of Gibraltar from the Red Sands area of the Rock begun in 1571 was not completed until 1694 when the present Spanish fountain was incorporated. However, water from the Red Sands was already being drawn and sold from the site by at least 1684.

The fountain, of simple design, consisted of four gargoyle faces which may have been intended as apotropaic devices – intended to ward off evil or harmful substances contained in the water. Flanking the gargoyle fountain spouts were two columns supporting a pediment. The tympanum, the triangular area within the pediment contains the inscription “ANO DE 1694”, alluding to the date of construction. The pillars were each capped by two spherical finials with another two located on the rampart itself. A cross stood on the apex of the pediment itself.  

Above the fountain stood a statue of St. Michael, possibly alluding to the fact that this water originated from St. Michael’s Cave which lied directly above the Red Sands. It was only in 1942 that the Royal Engineers discovered Lower St Michael’s Cave and its interior fresh water lake which proved that this was indeed the case.

Spanish Fountain now below Zoca Flank Battery

Along the route a number of vents were built to maintain the water conduit system. A 1738 Tindal and Rapin map clearly shows that at least seven such vents along the Red Sands were still extant during the first half of the 18^th Century.

Thomas James writing in 1771 described the Spanish fountain in great detail:²

In the middle of the town in the Grand parade, is the fountain built in 1694, which supplies the city with water. . . You descend from the parade to the fountain one and twenty steps: the water is extremely good, and very much purified by its filtering through that immense body of sand, before it arrives to the aqueduct; it will keep for many years, and it is reported, that formerly this water was greatly valued, insomuch that several used to come to Gibraltar from the different parts of Spain on purpose to drink it for particular disorders: I have drank of it from fifteen years bottling, as clear and as pure as when it first ran into the aqueduct.

James Gabriel Montresor map 1753 showing location of the Spanish Fountain to the West of Grand Parade (now Commercial Square).

James also provided detailed diagrams revealing all of its inner workings:³

The Plan

1. The aqueduct that comes from the Red Sands.
2. The pipe in which water rises level with the fountain.
3. The four cocks.
4. Waste water running into the sea.
5. The water of the aqueduct that keeps the reservoir full.
6. The reservoir.
7. Steps from the parade.

The Elevation

1. Water, as in the plan.
2. The pipe, as in the plan.
3. The cocks, as in the plan.
4. Grate for the waste water, as in the plan.
5. The water to keep the reservoir full, as in the plan.
6. The reservoir.
7. The front of the fountain, with the statue of St. Michael.

The Sections

1. The aqueduct.
2. The entrance to the aqueduct, under which you may walk to Southport which is two thousand four hundred feet.
3. The steps.
4. The cocks.
5. The water running into the sea.
6. The sea.
7. The old Moorish rampart.
8. The new rampart added.
9. The flank to the town battery.
10. Passage at the back of the fountain, No. 1 in the plan.
11. New Line Wall.
12. Old Moorish Line Wall.
13. 2 stone brought from Barbesula (Guadiaro).
14. 3. Platform for cannon.

Thomas also included another plan which describing the workings of the vents beyond the Southport Gates. Here the water would filter through the vast beds of the red sands, between the bricks No.1 into the channel and pipes. These plans drawn in the 1750’s recorded the following risings:⁴

22^nd January 1750 In water 11 inches high

14^th October 1750 In water 9 inches high

21^st December 1750 In water 21 inches high

3^rd October 1751 In water 17 inches high

3rd October 1752 In water 17 inches high

Red Sands vent section

The aqueduct continued to provide wholesome water to the fountain until 1872 when the fountain was removed. It is not clear why, however, that very same year, a severe storm in which nearly 6 inches of rain fell in two and a half hours flooded the cellars of the Club House (now the City Hall) where the property owner, John Ansaldo kept thousands of dollars’ worth of wines and spirits. Ansaldo filed a lawsuit against the Sanitary Commissioners but the case was withdrawn on the advice of the Attorney General, each side paying for their own costs. The fountain stood right next to Ansaldo’s property and it very possible that the overflow of rain water from the reservoir may have been the cause of the flooding to his cellars according to Ansaldo’s lawsuit. It appears that as part of the settlement the Sanitary Commission, which by then had opened up new water collection points in other parts of the town, agreed to remove the old Spanish fountain.

It remained in storage until 1886 when it was re-erected in Castle Road, at the junction of Lower Castle Road and Hospital Ramp. The 1865 OS Map shows a fountain and trough erected between the old Colonial Hospital and the stables demolished in 1909 to construct the Police Barracks. It would appear that the fountain was also removed around this time.

Spanish fountain location on Castle Road.

In 1964, the fountain was re-erected at its present location below the Zoca Flank, very close to Fountain Ramp its original location. Although the main façade remains, many of its former accoutrements such as the spherical finials, cross and statue of St. Michael have been lost over time.

1 ROSE, Edward P.F.; MATHER, John D.; PEREZ, Manuel (2004) British attempts to develop groundwater and water supply on Gibraltar 1800–1985. In Mather, John D. (ed.). 200 Years of British Hydrogeology. London: Geological Society.

2 JAMES, Thomas: The History of the Herculean Straits: Now Called the Straits of Gibraltar: Including Those Ports of Spain and Barbary that Lie Contiguous Thereto. Illustrated with Several Copper Plates, Volume 1 (1771)., p. 346

3 Ibid., pp.346-347.

4 Ibid., pp.346-347.