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80-536: La Línea de la Concepción ( Spanish pronunciation: [la ˈlinea ðe la konθeβˈθjon] ), often referred to simply as La Línea , is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz , Andalusia . The city lies on the sandy isthmus which is part of the eastern flank of the Bay of Gibraltar , and it limits with the Gibraltar–Spain border to the south. La Línea has close economic and social links with

160-525: A group of fortifications whose goal was to besiege Gibraltar checking on any UK further expansionist ideas. During the War of Independence , Peninsular War , Spain had initially been allied to France while trying to invade Portugal, but France shortly after turned on its ally, Spain. Forcing the Spanish to ally itself with Great Britain and Portugal against Napoleonic France to regain control of Spain from

240-497: A currency for payment in the town. 2020 British exit from the EU has rendered Gibraltar foreign territory, but Spain retains the 'status quo', pending further negotiations, with a preliminary agreement to avoid a hard border between Gibraltar and Spain,an agreement which in 2023 still continues in negotiation. The Línea town council has pleaded for the establishment of the town as a new autonomous community of Spain out of Andalusia, with

320-440: A large degree of autonomy in their local affairs: many of the functions of the comarcas and provinces are municipal powers pooled together. All citizens of Spain are required to register in the municipality they live in, and after doing so, they are juridically considered "neighbors" (residents) of the municipality, a designation that grants them various rights and privileges, and which entail certain obligations as well, including

400-473: A population of three in 2022 ). Almost 40% of the Spanish population resides in just 62 municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. 84% (6,817) of municipalities have less than 5,000 inhabitants. Castile and León alone account for 28% of municipalities but they constitute less than 6% of the population of Spain. A European report said that one of the most important problems facing local governments in Spain

480-482: A port. Segregated from the municipality of San Roque in 1870, the municipality of 'La Línea' ( transl.  'The Line' ) derives its name from the 'Line of Contravallation' ( La Línea de Contravalación ) defence structure built after the 1727 siege on Gibraltar . In 1883, it was first recorded under the official name of 'La Línea de la Concepción' (a reference to the Immaculate Conception ,

560-570: A similar status to that of Ceuta and Melilla . The Supreme Court sentenced that the measure "affects the territorial organization of the State and of the Autonomous Communities, an extremely delicate matter in which any alteration goes beyond purely local interests", thereby bringing down the initiative. 18th century military buildings. Built during the siege of Gibraltar as part of the so-called Contravalación Line of Gibraltar ,

640-536: A standalone municipality. The people of La Línea have traditionally found work in Gibraltar, from the days in the 18th century when Gibraltar was an important naval port. La Linea was, and still is, a supplier of fresh produce from its open and fertile land area as well as its population supplying workers, mainly for the Gibraltar Dockyard. This provision stopped with the total closure of the border by

720-547: A total of 8,131 municipalities in Spain, including the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla . In the Principality of Asturias , municipalities are officially named concejos (councils). The average population of a municipality is about 5,300, but this figure masks a huge range: the most populous Spanish municipality is the city of Madrid , with a population of 3,305,408 (2022) , while several rural municipalities have fewer than ten inhabitants ( Illán de Vacas , had

800-410: Is based on that by the local painter José Cruz Herrera . The recently opened monument is a tribute to the "linense" women. Work also of Nacho Falgueras. It is a tribute to the thousands of "linenses" and "campogibraltareños" who spent their lives working in Gibraltar. Because of difficult times in this part of Spain they crossed the border every day to work and support their families. It is a tribute by

880-401: Is called ayuntamiento ( municipal council or corporation ), a term often also used to refer to the municipal headquarters (city/town hall). The ayuntamiento is composed of the mayor (Spanish: alcalde ), the deputy mayors (Spanish: tenientes de alcalde ) and the deliberative assembly ( pleno ) of councillors ( concejales ). Another form of local government used in small municipalities

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960-470: Is the concejo abierto (open council), in which the deliberative assembly is formed by all the electors in the municipality. The operation of the municipalities is broadly outlined by the 1985 Local Government Act. The Statutes of Autonomy of the various autonomous communities also contain provisions and many sectorial laws from national and autonomous community government determine the functions and powers of ayuntamientos. In general, municipalities enjoy

1040-419: Is the very high number of little towns with a low number of inhabitants. The area of the municipal territory (Spanish: término municipal ) usually ranges 2–40 km , but some municipalities span across a much larger area, up to the 1,750.33 km of Cáceres ', the largest municipality in the country. The average land area of a Spanish municipality is about 62.23 km (24.03 sq mi), while

1120-628: The 1720 Treaty of The Hague . The treaty's territorial provisions did not go as far as the Whigs in Britain would have liked, considering that the French had made overtures for peace in 1706 and again in 1709. The Whigs considered themselves the heirs of the staunch anti-French policies of William III of England and the John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough . The Whigs were now a minority in

1200-591: The British overseas territory of Gibraltar . It is part of the comarca of Campo de Gibraltar . The first dwellings, which date back to the 18th century, were behind the Spanish fortification lines drawn up during the Sieges of Gibraltar which took place during the 18c and 19c wars in Europe. The population of La Línea was a part of the municipality of San Roque until the community was decreed on 17 January 1870 to be

1280-596: The Dutch Republic , helped end the war. The treaties were concluded between the representatives of Louis XIV of France and of his grandson Philip on one hand, and representatives of Queen Anne of Great Britain , King Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia , King John V of Portugal and the United Provinces of the Netherlands on the other. Though the king of France ensured the Spanish crown for his dynasty,

1360-831: The Kingdom of Naples , Sardinia , and the bulk of the Duchy of Milan went to Emperor Charles VI . In South America, Spain returned Colónia do Sacramento in modern Uruguay to Portugal and recognised Portuguese sovereignty over the lands between the Amazon and Oyapock rivers, now in Brazil . In North America, France recognised British suzerainty over the Iroquois , and ceded Nova Scotia and its claims to Newfoundland and territories in Rupert's Land . The French portion of Saint Kitts in

1440-815: The Ottoman Empire . Even after paying expenses associated with the Dutch Barrier , increased tax revenues from the Austrian Netherlands funded a significant upgrade of the Austrian military. However, these gains were diminished by various factors, chiefly the disruption of the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 caused by Charles disinheriting his nieces in favour of his daughter Maria Theresa . Attempts to ensure its succession involved Austria in wars of little strategic value; much of

1520-619: The West Indies was also ceded in its entirety to Britain. France retained its other pre-war North American possessions, including Cape Breton Island , where it built the Fortress of Louisbourg , then the most expensive military installation in North America. The successful French Rhineland campaign of 1713 finally induced Charles to sign the 1714 treaties of Rastatt and Baden , although terms were not agreed with Spain until

1600-462: The "linense" José Muñoz Molleda, who gave music lessons to many young people, aged between 9 and 35 years, both "Linenses" and from other nearby cities, as this Music Conservatory was the only one in the Campo de Gibraltar area awarding a "Grado Medio"—intermediate degree. A stepping stone for learning music in the city for many years, together with the "Linense" Municipal Foundation of Culture and

1680-534: The Allied offer of 1709 had been, it gained little that had not already been achieved through diplomacy by February 1701. Though France remained a great power, concern at its relative decline in military and economic terms compared to Britain was an underlying cause of the War of the Austrian Succession in 1740. The British historian G. M. Trevelyan has argued that: That Treaty, which ushered in

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1760-624: The Allies during the war, Spain only agreed to grant an amnesty, thus implying the imposition of the laws and institutions of Castile to the Principality of Catalonia , as it already happened in 1707 to the other occupied kingdoms of the Crown of Aragon. Spanish territories in Italy and Flanders were divided, with Savoy receiving Sicily and parts of the Duchy of Milan . The former Spanish Netherlands ,

1840-681: The Americas . The Asiento de Negros had come about due to the fact that the Spanish Empire rarely engaged in the transatlantic slave trade itself, preferring to outsource this to foreign merchants. Bourbon France had previously held the Asiento de Negros , allowing French slave traders to supply 5,000 slaves to the Spanish Empire each year; France had gained control over this contract after Philip V had become King of Spain. After

1920-627: The Balance of Power , it was widely publicised in Britain by author and Tory satirist Daniel Defoe in his 1709 article A Review of the Affairs of France . The idea was reflected in the wording of the treaties and resurfaced after the defeat of Napoleon in the 1815 Concert of Europe that dominated Europe in the 19th century. For the individual signatories, Britain established naval superiority over its competitors, commercial access to Spain and America, and control of Menorca and Gibraltar; it retains

2000-494: The Bourbon candidate as Philip V of Spain to remain as king. In return, Philip renounced the French throne, both for himself and his descendants, with reciprocal renunciations by French Bourbons to the Spanish throne, including Louis XIV's nephew Philippe of Orléans . These became increasingly important after a series of deaths between 1712 and 1714 left the five year old Louis XV as his great-grandfather's heir. Great Britain

2080-574: The British by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The municipality of San Roque still has as its motto "La Muy Noble y Más Leal Ciudad de San Roque, donde reside la de Gibraltar " ("the Most Noble and Most Loyal City of San Roque, where reside those [the people] of Gibraltar"). The town lands included the area of the modern La Línea de la Concepción. King Felipe V , the name by which Philip of Anjou

2160-753: The British commander, the Duke of Ormonde , to withdraw from the Allied forces before the Battle of Denain (informing the French but not the Allies), and the fact that they secretly arrived at separate peace with France was a fait accompli , made the objections of the Allies pointless. In any case, the Dutch achieved their condominium in the Austrian Netherlands with the Austro-Dutch Barrier Treaty of 1715. The Treaty stipulated that "because of

2240-529: The British government gained access to the Asiento de Negros , the economic prominence held by Dutch Sephardic Jewish slaveowners began to fade, while the South Sea Company was established in hopes of gaining exclusive access to the contract. The British government sought to reduce its debt by increasing the volume of trade it had with Spain, which required gaining access to the Asiento de Negros ; as historian G.M. Trevelyan noted: "The finances of

2320-503: The Director of Engineering Prospero Jorge de Verboom , for the construction of two strongholds, one located to the east and the other at west of the isthmus, both united by a line of fortification, with the aim of preventing the movement and to assert rights over the isthmus, in addition to consolidate the Spanish presence in the area. Construction began in 1731 on the two major strongholds, known as Santa Bárbara and San Felipe. The first

2400-588: The French, these fortifications were blown up by the British to avoid falling into the hands of France. Currently, the Ruins of Fort St. Barbara is in a recovery phase, while the Fort San Felipe remnants have appeared recently. Fort San Carlos does not seem to have left preserved evidence. EU funding was provided in 2023 to La Linea to enable a restoration of the Santa Barbara fort. Currently it hosts

2480-733: The Félix Enríquez Musical Society, particularly its most recent director Ignacio Ábalos Nuevo. Currently under reform, there is still teaching going on. On the underground parking just below the extension of the Conservatory, archaeological remains of the 18th century Contravalación line were found and are now displayed nearby. Plans for introducing soon the area of professional Opera Singing were put forward in December 2006 by famous International Opera soprano Singer Montserrat Caballé . It stores files documenting

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2560-593: The Municipal Guards Building and next to it, the first Police Station of this city lasting till about 1936. The Santa Mariana Guard was responsible for checking the San Benito Guard, by the sidewalk near the fountain of Santa Barbara on the beach of Levante. The Torre Nueva tower is one of 44 towers of the same characteristics that built along the coast from the river Guadiaro to the border with Portugal . All of them were built during

2640-721: The Museum of the Isthmus but was once the military command associated to the Halls Head Officers garrison. It is the oldest building in town that exists, whose Officers' pavilions date from 1863 to 1865. In 1944 it was demolished in the old "Carabineros Barracks" at the Explanada (now, the Constitution Plaza). There was a single floor building located in the left corner of it. This building was for many years,

2720-544: The Netherlands feared a possible alliance and/or a hypothetical union between the French and Spanish royal houses, and so favoured the Habsburg Charles. In November 1700, Philip was declared king. The Grand Alliance captured Gibraltar on 3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession after abortive attempts elsewhere. It was selected for its strategic value, weak garrison and to encourage

2800-431: The Spanish government between 9 June 1969 and 15 December 1982 as a result of the dispute between Spain and Britain regarding the sovereignty of Gibraltar. The border was fully reopened on 5 February 1985. La Línea is a major supplier of fruit and vegetables to Gibraltar; other industries include the manufacture of cork, liquor, and fish paste. It also had an important military garrison with substantial fortifications and

2880-642: The administration of Robert Harley (created Earl of Oxford and Mortimer on 23 May 1711) and the Viscount Bolingbroke proved more flexible at the bargaining table and were characterized by the Whigs as "pro-French"; Oxford and Bolingbroke persuaded the Queen to create twelve new "Tory peers" to ensure ratification of the treaty in the House of Lords . The opponents of the treaty tried to rally support under

2960-626: The alarm signal to the towers nearby. EU funding was provided in 2023 to La Linea to enable a restoration of the Santa Barbara fort. The Bullring was built on the old Plaza del Arenal and took 3 years to build and was completed in 1883 with capacity for 6000 people. It is considered to be one of the oldest buildings in La Línea along with the former Military Command, now the Museo del Istmo [1] , which are good examples of architecture in Andalusia in

3040-431: The average population is about 5,988 people. Municipalities were first created by decree on 23 May 1812 as part of the liberal reforms associated with the new Spanish Constitution of 1812 and based on similar actions in revolutionary France. The idea was to rationalise and homogenise territorial organisation, do away with the prior feudal system and provide equality before the law of all citizens. Between 1812 and 1931,

3120-685: The beginning of the Feria de la Línea which is celebrated in mid-July and in recent times is the only time that a bullfight occurs. The main Parish church was built in the 19th century colonial style. Notable features are the 17th-century reredos and the image of St. Mary made by the Andalusian sculptor Luis Ortega Bru . The church became a shrine at the end of 2005. The Church of the Immaculate Conception has three naves. The exterior of

3200-534: The building echoes the interior layout, with a remarkable simplicity and beauty. Inside the parish church of the Immaculate Conception there are images of Jesús del Gran Poder , and others belonging to four religious guilds. The Three Graces is a Monument at the Plaza de la Iglesia that is based on the Greek mythology of the three Charites , which represent charm, beauty, and creativity. This work by Nacho Falgueras

3280-511: The century, and the mayor on several occasions, submitted to the council for permission to build on own property, a bullring, to celebrate the Spanish festival, other festivals such as acrobatic, and other celebrations in the year 1880, the project being led by the provincial architect Adolfo del Castillo, author among other works, of the Abastos market, today Concepción market and the former Municipal Slaughterhouse now disappeared. Bullfights mark

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3360-517: The city since 1887. It stores a large collection of bullfighting posters, costumes, herds, stamps, photographs of bullfighters, and so on. Composed of four rooms and a chapel, Manolete hall, El Gordito hall, Antonio Duarte "Pota" lounge, El Marinero hall and the Frascuelo hall. With thousands of photographs, bullfight posters, marking irons, torero costumes, trophies, capes, flags, stocks, etc.. With over 50 years of history, it can be considered one of

3440-431: The command, and a customs post, guards and soldiers barracks being located beyond the neighborhood and Espigón far east on the beach. Properly speaking, La Atunara or Tunara, should not be considered as a contemporary part of the line because its origins date back to some 640 years before the city itself. On 20 July 1870 La Línea got its first mayor, Lutgardo López Muñoz , chosen by a committee of residents appointed by

3520-547: The country were based in May 1711 on the assumption that the Asiento, or monopoly of the slave trade with Spanish America, would be wrested from France as an integral part of the terms of peace". Following the passage of the treaty, the British government gained a thirty-year access to the Asiento de Negros . The importance placed by British negotiators on commercial interests was demonstrated by their demand for France to "level

3600-476: The decision including the expectation of a counter attack and the violence during the capture, which ultimately proved disastrous for the Hapsburg cause. The subsequent siege failed to dislodge the Hapsburg forces and the refugees settled around Algeciras and the hermitage of San Roque . In 1711, the British and French Governments started secret negotiations to end the war leading to the cession of Gibraltar to

3680-486: The destruction of the physical line that blocked the passage through the isthmus, the city continued to grow with a strong dependence on Gibraltar , covering all sorts of services to Gibraltar (supply of food, meat, fruit, vegetables and physical space for housing nearby and a labor force in the service of an expanding port, etc.). In due time, traders, merchants and workers wanted the simple line of buildings to become an independent municipality of San Roque , controlled by

3760-623: The fighting in the 1733–1735 War of the Polish Succession taking place in its maritime provinces in Italy. Austria had traditionally relied on naval support from the Dutch, whose own capability had been severely degraded; Britain prevented the loss of Sicily and Naples in 1718 but refused to do so again in 1734. The dispute continued to loosen Habsburg control over the Empire; Bavaria, Hanover, Prussia and Saxony increasingly acted as independent powers and in 1742, Charles of Bavaria became

3840-561: The first non-Habsburg Emperor in over 300 years. The Dutch Republic ended the war effectively bankrupt, while the damage suffered by the Dutch merchant navy permanently affected their commercial and political strength and it was superseded by Britain as the pre-eminent European mercantile power. The acquisition of the Barrier Fortresses however became an important asset of Dutch foreign policy and enlarged their sphere of influence. Although judged favourably by contemporaries, it

3920-582: The fortifications of Dunkirk , block up the port and demolish the sluices that scour the harbour, [which] shall never be reconstructed". This was because Dunkirk was the primary base for French privateers , as it was possible to reach the North Sea in a single tide and escape British patrols in the English Channel. Under Article XIII and, despite the British demands to preserve Catalan constitutions and rights in return for Catalonia's support for

4000-420: The great danger which threatened the liberty and safety of all Europe, from the too close conjunction of the kingdoms of Spain and France, ... one and the same person should never become King of both kingdoms". Some historians argue this makes it a significant milestone in the evolution of the modern nation state and concept of a balance of power . First mentioned in 1701 by Charles Davenant in his Essays on

4080-493: The guarantees to be given by France and Spain that their crowns would be kept separate, and little progress was made until 10 July 1712, when Philip signed a renunciation. With Great Britain, France and Spain having agreed to a "suspension of arms" (armistice) covering Spain on 19 August in Paris, the pace of negotiation quickened. The first treaty signed at Utrecht was the truce between France and Portugal on 7 November, followed by

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4160-559: The house, but still pushing their anti-peace agenda. The whigs opposed peace every step of the way. The Whigs even called the treaty a sellout for letting the duke of Anjou stay on the Spanish throne. However, in the Parliament of 1710 the Tories had gained control of the House of Commons , and they wished for an end to Great Britain's participation in a European war. Queen Anne and her advisors had also come to agree. The party in

4240-523: The invasion of the Iberian peninsula by Napoleonic troops, leading to the Spanish War of Independence and the Peninsular War . Fearing that the French troops of Napoleon Bonaparte , which had already arrived in the Campo de Gibraltar , might take over the fortresses of La Línea, the Gibraltar Commanding Royal Engineer Charles Holloway decided to blast an opening through them on 14 February 1810. Gibraltar, supported by La Línea, became an important base for Spanish fighters against Napoleon's troops. After

4320-434: The late 19th century. Various fights have taken place in the bullring including a fight between a lion and a bull in 1887. During the 1970s and 1980s the upper part of the bullring was unsafe and was demolished. The bull-ring is now fully restored and bullfights take place again. It also acts as a venue for music and other events. Luis Ramírez Galuzo was undoubtedly one of the neighbors of the city with more economic means of

4400-441: The latter territory to this day. France accepted the Protestant succession on the British throne, ensuring a smooth transition when Anne died in August 1714, and ended its support for the Stuarts under the 1716 Anglo-French Treaty . While the war left all participants with unprecedented levels of government debt, only Great Britain successfully financed it. Spain retained the majority of its Empire and recovered remarkably quickly;

4480-409: The legislation regarding municipal organisation was changed more than 20 times, and there were 20 addition and unsuccessful proposals for change. Treaty of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession , in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for

4560-403: The military, landowners and aristocrats. On 17 January 1870 the segregation of La Línea from San Roque was approved. Some 300 inhabitants were located at Gibraltar Line, the place being named therefore, in Spanish, La Línea . The new municipality included the current Plaza de la Iglesia, Plaza de la Constitución, calle Real ( Royal Street ), Jardines Street and España Avenue. It had a cemetery,

4640-594: The most important ones in the country. Founder: José Cabrera Duarte, a great fan of bullfighting, and a keen collector of all kinds. Municipalities in Spain Although provinces are groupings of municipalities , there is no implied hierarchy or primacy of one over the other. Instead the two entities are defined according to the authority or jurisdiction of each ( Spanish : competencias ). Some autonomous communities also group municipalities into entities known as comarcas (districts) or mancomunidades (commonwealths). The governing body in most municipalities

4720-540: The new Gibraltar Constitution. Many people from La Línea lost their jobs in Gibraltar. The border was reopened on 15 December 1982 with full public access in 1985. Protests were undertaken against the presence of the nuclear submarine HMS Tireless in Gibraltar for repairs in 2001. In 2010, the People's Party mayor of La Línea, Alejandro Sánchez, attempted to impose a "congestion charge" on people entering or leaving Gibraltar. In November 2017, Apymell collective of small businesses started accepting Pound sterling as

4800-417: The next year, for the peace treaty between Spain and the Netherlands was only signed on 26 June 1714 and that between Spain and Portugal on 6 February 1715. Several other treaties came out of the congress of Utrecht. France signed treaties of commerce and navigation with Great Britain and the Dutch Republic (11 April 1713). Great Britain signed a like treaty with Spain (9 December 1713). The Peace confirmed

4880-482: The preliminaries of peace had been signed in London . The preliminaries were based on a tacit acceptance of the partition of Spain's European possessions. Following this, the Congress of Utrecht opened on 29 January 1712, with the British representatives being John Robinson , Bishop of Bristol , and Thomas Wentworth, Lord Strafford . Reluctantly the United Provinces accepted the preliminaries and sent representatives, but Emperor Charles VI refused to do so until he

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4960-438: The provincial council. At the first meeting of the new city hall, it was unanimously decided the name should be La Línea de la Concepción, as the Immaculate Conception was deeply rooted in Spanish army tradition of the time. The name is recorded from 1883. La Línea was granted the title of 'city' ( ciudad ) in 1913. Dictator Francisco Franco ordered the closure of the border gate with Gibraltar on 8 June 1969, in response to

5040-543: The recapture of Naples and Sicily in 1718 was only prevented by British naval power and a second attempt was successful in 1734. The 1707, 1715 and 1716 Nueva Planta decrees abolished regional political structures in the kingdoms of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca and the Principality of Catalonia , although Catalonia and Aragon retained some of these rights until 1767. Despite failure in Spain, Austria secured its position in Italy and Hungary, allowing it to continue expansion into areas of South-East Europe previously held by

5120-403: The reign of Felipe III , with others located on the Mediterranean coast, from Málaga to Catalonia . These were built to warn the coastal population to the presence of the Berber pirate ships. Smoke signals and bonfires were used to warn of the presence of the pirate ships. At the top of the building, there was always a bundle of dry wood to be burned immediately in case of danger, transmitting

5200-437: The rejection of Philip V (the Bourbon Claimant) in favour of Charles III (the Hapsburg claimant). Following orders to respect civilians, officers tried to maintain control but discipline broke down and the men ran amok. After order was restored, despite the surrender agreement promising property and religious rights, most of the population left with the garrison on 7 August citing loyalty to Philip. Several factors influenced

5280-441: The right to vote or be elected for public office in said municipality. The right to vote in municipal elections is extended to Spanish citizens living abroad. A Spaniard abroad, upon registering in a consulate , has the right to vote in the local elections of the last municipality they resided in. A Spanish citizen born abroad must choose between the last municipality his or her mother or father last lived in. As of 2022, there were

5360-521: The slogan of No Peace Without Spain . Although the fate of the Spanish Netherlands in particular was of interest to the United Provinces, Dutch influence on the outcome of the negotiations was fairly insignificant, even though the talks were held on their territory. The French negotiator Melchior de Polignac taunted the Dutch with the scathing remark de vous, chez vous, sans vous , meaning that negotiations would be held "about you, around you, without you". The fact that Bolingbroke had secretly ordered

5440-461: The stable and characteristic period of Eighteenth-Century civilization, marked the end of danger to Europe from the old French monarchy, and it marked a change of no less significance to the world at large, – the maritime, commercial and financial supremacy of Great Britain. The British academic Brendan Simms argues that: Britain had shaped Europe in her interests at the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It soon became clear, however, that she had designed

5520-414: The then patron of the Spanish Army ). When Charles II died in 1700 without an heir to the Crown of Spain, the War of the Spanish Succession broke out between the two main pretenders to the Spanish throne: Philip of Anjou and Charles, Archduke of Austria (later Charles VI of the Holy Roman Empire). Philip was the grandson of Louis XIV of France , and had the support of France. Austria, England, and

5600-440: The town of La Línea to all those who worked and continue to work in Gibraltar. Monument located on the west access of the city, between the Paseo Marítimo de Poniente and the Casa de la Juventud. It is a historical monument dedicated to the figure of the famous flamenco singer José Monge Cruz, Camarón de la Isla , who lived much of his life in this city. The sculpture is also the work of Nacho Falgueras . It takes its name from

5680-422: The treaties marked the end of French ambitions of hegemony in Europe expressed in the continuous wars of Louis XIV, and paved the way to the European system based on the balance of power in international relations . On 2 January 1710, King Louis XIV of France agreed to commence peace negotiations in Geertruidenberg  [ es ] . France and Great Britain had come to terms in October 1711, when

5760-556: The truce between France and Savoy on 14 March 1713. That same day, Spain, Great Britain, France and the Empire agreed to the evacuation of Catalonia and an armistice in Italy . The main treaties of peace followed on 11 April 1713. These were five separate treaties between France and Great Britain, the Dutch Republic , Savoy , Prussia and Portugal . Spain under Philip V signed separate peace treaties with Savoy and Great Britain at Utrecht on 13 July. Negotiations at Utrecht dragged on into

5840-474: The unsuccessful Siege of Gibraltar 1727 and the Great Siege of Gibraltar 1779-1783. After the 1727 siege, the Spanish government began the construction of a line of fortifications, the " Contravallation Line" or "La Línea de Gibraltar" thus eventually giving rise to the town La Línea De La Concepción. This would isolate the British outpost from the Spanish mainland. An order was issued on 2 November 1730 to

5920-519: The vacant throne of Spain, and involved much of Europe for over a decade. Essentially, the treaties allowed Philip V (grandson of King Louis XIV of France) to keep the Spanish throne in return for permanently renouncing his claim to the French throne, along with other necessary guarantees that would ensure that France and Spain should not merge, thus preserving the balance of power in Europe. The treaties between several European states, including Spain , Great Britain , France , Portugal , Savoy and

6000-561: Was assured that the preliminaries were not binding. This assurance was given, and so in February the Imperial representatives made their appearance. As Philip was not yet recognized as its king, Spain did not at first send plenipotentiaries, but the Duke of Savoy sent one, and the Kingdom of Portugal was represented by Luís da Cunha . One of the first questions discussed was the nature of

6080-415: Was completed in 1735; described now as 'Contravallation Line' or La Línea de Gibraltar . Thus, La Línea originated from a provisional camp made by artisans and merchants who supplied the military and their families in the vicinity of the fortifications erected to besiege Gibraltar . The bastions of The Line of Gibraltar would remain intact serving the purpose for which they were built until 1810 during

6160-496: Was crowned, ordered the Marquis de Villadarías to besiege the Plaza de Gibraltar . This first attempt to regain the city was unsuccessful and the Spanish army lifted the siege. However, to monitor the isthmus and to oppose a possible invasion of the rest of the territory, a permanent garrison was established in the area, under the military government of Campo de Gibraltar . Gibraltar was under constant surveillance and subjected to

6240-504: Was later argued that the barrier proved to be largely illusory when put to the test during the War of Austrian Succession . The Dutch had in any case successfully defended their positions in the Southern Netherlands and their troops were central in the alliance which halted French territorial expansion in Europe until a new cycle began in 1792 . While the final settlement at Utrecht was far more favourable to France than

6320-646: Was named in honor of the patroness of the Artillery, located at the east beach, where their remains are still visible. The second took its name to honor King Felipe V , and is situated on the west beach. Between these two strongholds a large wall was built with central square tip diamond shaped bulwarks with their respective bodies, running from Santa Bárbara to San Felipe. All of them were located at equidistant distances and were called Santa Mariana, San Benito, semi-square and body guard of San José, San Fernando and San Carlos. Construction of this formidable defensive line

6400-563: Was the main beneficiary; Utrecht marked the point at which it became the primary European commercial power. In Article X, Spain ceded the strategic ports of Gibraltar and Menorca . In a major coup for the British delegation, the British government emerged from the treaty with the Asiento de Negros , which referred to the monopoly contract granted by the Spanish government to other European nations to supply slaves to Spain's colonies in

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