This paper will examine the early history of the confraternity and church of la Vera Cruz in sixteenth-century Gibraltar. By analysing contemporary wills which are now in the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz, it will propose a timeline for the church and confraternity and examine the various contexts in which they emerged and developed.
Dr. Ryan Asquez completed a DPhil in History at Keble College, Oxford. His doctoral thesis was supervised by Professor Lyndal Roper and focused on images of the suffering Christ in Western Europe between 1450 and 1550. His current research builds on his long-standing interest in the impact of global empires on local communities. It addresses the social and religious history of late seventeenth and early eighteenth-century Gibraltar, especially the changes wrought by the Anglo-Dutch conquest of the Rock in 1704 and its subsequent integration into the British Empire. Ryan has also been heavily involved in sharing local history to a wider audience through social media as ‘the Llanito History Doctor’. He founded and administers the popular ‘Llanito History Doctor’ page on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X [formerly Twitter]), where he actively posts videos and content about Gibraltar’s history.
6 October 2026 | EVENT
26 August 2026 | EVENT
4 June 2026 | EVENT
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