If you’ve ever wandered through Gibraltar’s Upper Town and stumbled upon Arengo’s Palace Lane, you might have thought: Ooh, a palace! Then, after a few steps, you realise… it’s a car park.
But don’t be fooled - this was once one of the Rock’s grandest residences, the home of a man who could supply armies, move gold across continents, and commission altars with shipwrecked marble. Buckle up, because the story of Arengo’s Palace is part high-society glamour, part urban history, and part “how on earth did this become a multi-storey car park?”
Meet the Arengos – From Genoa to the Rock
The Arengo story kicks off in 1756, when Bartolome Arengo and his wife Theresa arrived in Gibraltar from Genoa. They were part of a wave of Genoese families who shaped the Rock’s culture, cuisine, and even its accent.
Fast-forward to the next generation and you meet the star of the show: Juan (John) Arengo. By the early 1800s, John was the guy you called if you needed to feed the entire British garrison - which, during the Great Siege, was exactly what he did. Later, as Spanish vice-consul, he had the delicate job of turning British gold bullion into Spanish duros to pay Wellington’s troops in the Peninsular War.
This wasn’t just a man with money - this was a man with serious influence. And he had the palace to match.
Life at the Palace
Picture Upper Town in the early 19th century: narrow lanes, crowded patios, cramped homes, and laundry strung across alleys. And then - like something from a different world - Arengo’s Palace.
Perched between two gullies (Palace Gully and Bruce’s Gully), it was surrounded by lush gardens and flanked by Arengo’s Buildings, which housed dozens of families. Dr. J. Hennen, a British army surgeon in the 1830s, wrote about this strip of land being “insulated” by its setting - a kind of green island in the midst of stone and slate.
The contrast was striking. While most of Upper Town dealt with poor ventilation and even poorer sanitation (especially evident during the 1865 cholera outbreak), the palace enjoyed fresh air, open space, and views. If the surrounding patios were the Rock’s working-class heart, the palace was its aristocratic eyebrow - raised ever so slightly above the rest.
Marble, Masons, and Memorials
John Arengo wasn’t just into nice houses - he also liked to leave his mark. Quite literally. He commissioned a grand Marian altar for the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, made from salvaged marble columns taken from a shipwreck. The cargo had been headed for South America, but fate (and Gibraltar’s waves) brought it here.
And because John was a Freemason, he made sure the altar’s curved pediment - the bogattino - was decorated with Masonic symbols. Eventually, these were covered up, but if you know where to look, you can still spot them.
When he died in 1819, John Arengo was buried in the Cathedral - a rare honour - with a memorial describing him as “a noble Genoese who maintained the honour and glory of Genoa.” Not bad for a man who started as the son of immigrants.
From Palace to… Parking
Here’s where the story takes a twist. Over the decades, the palace fell out of use as a grand residence. By the late 20th century, practicality won over preservation, and the mansion was demolished. In its place? A car park.
Yes, the lush gardens and refined walls were swapped for tarmac and painted parking bays. If you listen closely, you might almost hear the ghosts of genteel dinner parties sighing every time a handbrake creaks into place.
The Comeback
Just when it seemed the story would end there, things got interesting again.
In 2017, developers proposed an £8 million makeover for the area - turning the old palace site into modern apartments with multi-storey parking and, best of all, public access to the long-hidden gardens. For the first time in decades, the greenery behind Arengo’s Lane could be enjoyed again.
By 2020, work began to clear the overgrowth, peeling back layers of abandonment to reveal the bones of the original space. And then, in 2023, Gibraltar’s government stepped in and declared the site a Scheduled Archaeological Area - the first of its kind on the Rock. That means any new development now has to respect and investigate its historical layers.
Why Arengo’s Palace Matters
You might think: “It’s just an old house - why fuss?” But Arengo’s Palace is a micro-history of Gibraltar itself.
It’s about immigration and integration (the Genoese becoming part of the Rock’s fabric).
It’s about wartime resilience (feeding an army during siege).
It’s about wealth, taste, and the desire to leave a legacy (altars, gardens, marble).
And it’s also about the push-and-pull between heritage and modern needs (palace vs. parking).
Even without the building standing, the name still carries weight. Walk down Arengo’s Palace Lane today and you’re treading the same ground where 19th-century guests might have arrived in horse-drawn carriages, and where gardeners once tended fruit trees instead of fending off seagulls.
Today
Today Arengo's Gardens is just as grand and sought after as the original Genoese palace. Yes the sweeping staircase, the shaded verandas, and the sound of fine china being set for dinner may have gone, but in its place stands a a building fit for the 21st century and beyond. Complete with residents gym, rooftop pool and allocated parking.
A few months ago, Richardsons completed on a duplex penthouse apartment on the rear of the building for £950,000 which sold in a matter of weeks, confirming the demand for such a luxury development in the location.
We now have a stunning 3 bed on the front of the building which gives stunning views over the sea, spanning 111sqm internally with a large terrace too at just £790,000, available exclusively with Richardsons. Check it out via the links below.
.jpg)