| St. Michael's Cave | |
|---|---|
| Old St. Michael's Cave | |
 Uplit stalactites in St. Michael's Cave. | |
  Map showing location of St. Michael's Cave inGibraltar. | |
| Location | Queen's Road,Upper Rock Nature Reserve,Gibraltar |
| Coordinates | 36°07′34″N5°20′44″W / 36.126199°N 5.345504°W /36.126199; -5.345504 |
| Depth | 62 metres (203 ft) |
| Elevation | 300 metres (980 ft) |
| Geology | Limestone |
| Entrances | 3 |
| Visitors | c. 1,000,000 |
St. Michael's Cave orOld St. Michael's Cave is the name given to a network oflimestone caves located within theUpper Rock Nature Reserve in theBritish Overseas Territory ofGibraltar, at a height of over 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. According toAlonso Hernández del Portillo, the first historian of Gibraltar, its name is derived from a similargrotto inMonte Gargano near theSanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo in Apulia, Italy, where thearchangel Michael is said to have appeared.[1]
It is the most visited of the more than 150 caves found inside theRock of Gibraltar,[2] receiving almost 1,000,000 visitors a year.[3]
The cave was created by rainwater slowly seeping through thelimestone rock, turning into a weakcarbonic acid which gradually dissolved the rock. Through this process, tiny cracks in The Rock'sgeological fault grew into long passages and large caverns over thousands of years. The numerousstalactites andstalagmites in the cave are formed by an accumulation of traces of dissolved rock deposited by water dripping from the ground above.
In 1974, aNeolithic bowl was discovered in the cave, one of many examples which prove that the cave was known toprehistoric humans. Another would be the recently[when?] discoveredcave art depicting anibex drawn in charcoal on one of the cave walls. It has been dated to thesolutrean period (15,000 to 20,000 years ago) based on the style used.[4] However, since twoNeanderthal skulls have been discovered in Gibraltar, it is possible that they were among the first to set foot in the cave around 40,000 BC.
The first factual description of the cave was written in 45 AD byPomponius Mela,[5] anAlgeciras-born geographer.[6] He described Gibraltar as:
A mountain with wonderful concavities, which has its western side almost opened by a large cave which may be penetrated far into the interior.
However, the writings ofHomer as well as artefacts discovered in the cave show that it was already well known to the ancientGreeks,Romans andPhoenicians.
The nameCueva de San Miguel (the current English name is a direct translation of the Spanishtoponym) is recorded by Gibraltar's first historian,Alonso Hernández del Portillo, in hisHistoria de la Muy Noble y Más Leal Ciudad de Gibraltar (English:History of the Very Noble and Most Loyal City of Gibraltar). In his work, Hernández del Portillo also suggests the cave's name is taken from the similargrotto in Apulia, Italy.[1]
During the first century of the British period, there are some records of the attempt by the new owners of the Rock to change the name of the cave using the name of the English patron Saint,Saint George. However, the new name,St. George's Cave, was not widely adopted and, although still used in the 19th century, has not remained in use, being replaced by the cave's original name.[1]
During theVictorian era the cave was used as a venue for picnics, parties, concerts, weddings and evenduels. The caves would be decorated for many of these events and even illuminated for distinguished visitors by soldiers who would perch on stalagmites with torches.
The first officialarchaeological excavation of the cave was carried out by the Governor of the military prison, Captain Frederick Brome, commencing in April 1863 and continuing until December 1867.[7] He discovered numerous prehistoric artefacts such asstone axes and arrow heads,shell jewellery, andbone needles as well as a large collection of pottery.[8] Despite his archaeological efforts, Brome's unauthorised use of prisoners' labour eventually cost him his job.
Officers looking for adventure during quiet periods of their service, would pass their time exploring the many passages within the cave system. Sometime before 1840, a Colonel Mitchell and a second officer got lost in the caves and were never seen again. Their disappearance led to extensive explorations of the cave system in 1840, 1857 and 1865, but no evidence of the officers' whereabouts was found.[9] Further exploration was carried out between 1936 and 1938, when a scientificexpedition was mounted and every known part of the cave system was explored, but again nohuman remains were found.
It is believed that St. Michael's Cave has had a military use since theBerber generalTariq ibn Ziyad led theUmayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 AD. This is assumed due to the defensive wall ofMoorish origin which protected the cave's entrance until recently.
Just afterGibraltar's capture by Anglo-Dutch forces in 1704, 500Spanish troops concealed themselves within the cave overnight after having ascended through a path led bygoatherdSimón Susarte, before an unsuccessful attempt to surprise the garrison.
DuringWorld War II the entire cave was prepared for use as an emergency military hospital. It was never used as such.[3]
In 1942, it was decided that an alternate entrance was required to improve air circulation within the emergency hospital in the lower chambers of the cave, as well as to serve as an emergency exit in case ofairstrike. While blasting the rock to create the extra opening, another deeper system of caves known asNew St. Michael's Cave (sometimes referred to asLower St. Michael's Cave) were discovered. The series of descending chambers are riddled with examples of almost all knowncave formations, including an underground lake of crystal clear water.[3]
The largest of the chambers, named theCathedral Cave, currently serves as anauditorium.[10] It was converted due to the chamber's naturalacoustic properties. It is equipped with a concrete stage and has a seating capacity of over 100.
It has been a regular venue for events such as dramas andson et lumière shows as well as the annualMiss Gibraltarbeauty pageant. The cave is also used to hold concerts of allmusic genres, from operas andphilharmonic orchestras to pop and rock. Notable acts who have performed in the cave includeSteve Hogarth[11] andBreed 77.[12] TheGibraltar World Music Festival is also held here each year.
In 2016 English comedianMark Steel recorded an episode of his long runningBBC Radio 4 comedy seriesMark Steel's in Town in the cave.[13]
Presently the cave is one of Gibraltar's toptourist attractions and is open daily to the public receiving almost 1,000,000 visitors a year. The cave formations are colourfully lit and visitors can read displays documenting the caves' history.
St. Michael's Cave can be reached by tour bus, taxi,cable car[14] or by foot. Tickets include entrance to two of the other major tourist sites on The Rock: theMoorish Castle and theGreat Siege Tunnels.
Guided tours ofLower St. Michael's Cave can also be arranged through theGibraltar Tourist Board. The cave is in a completely natural state, although fully lit and kitted out with ropes to aid minor climbing and scrambling. Safety helmets are provided and comfortable non-slip shoes are recommended.
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