Shrine of Our Lady of Europe

Located at the southern end of The Rock, this shrine was originally a mosque and converted into a chapel by the Christians in 1462. The light that was kept burning in a tower above the chapel was the original Gibraltar lighthouse. Although the shrine was plundered and pillaged by the pirate Red Beard, its most valuable treasure – the 15th century statue of the Virgin and Child survived – is still venerated there to this day.

There is a museum at the Shrine that depicts its long and tumultuous history. A growing revival in following to Our Lady of Europe commenced in the 1960s and has gathered momentum. In 2009, Gibraltar celebrated the 700th anniversary of devotion to Our Lady of Europe. His Holiness the Pope gave the Shrine the Golden Rose, the highest Papal award for any shrine.