For over three centuries, Spain has repeatedly attempted to reclaim Gibraltar from British control. Yet few plans were as bizarre as the one devised by Juan de Aguas in 1780. This was a vision so extraordinary it reads like an excerpt from a lost Tolkien manuscript.
According to newspaper ABC, the newly uncovered scheme involved erecting a colossal Cupid statue, invoking ancient Egyptian deities, and constructing a wall across the Strait of Gibraltar to isolate the British stronghold. This manuscript was long forgotten and only rediscovered in 2016. It has shone a new light on the eccentric ways in which Spain dreamed of reclaiming Gibraltar.
A monumental plan lost in time
The manuscript, penned in 1780, was addressed to the Prince of Asturias, the future King Charles IV. It remained hidden for centuries and resurfaced only eight years ago in Madrid’s Naval Museum. The proposal contained 80 handwritten pages and several striking illustrations depicting Gibraltar and Algeciras Bay. Written in a stylised prose that was fashionable at the time, it presented not only a military plan but also a piece of literary curiosity.
Juan de Aguas proposed to block Gibraltar’s access entirely by building a monumental Cupid statue. This would act as the foundation for a breakwater stretching across the strait. With imagery involving Egyptian gods and lines of verse, the proposal aimed to secure Spanish control and cut off British supplies. De Aguas even imagined fortifying the structure with towers to defend against enemy attempts to break through.
A symbol of defiance against British control
The context of this project was the so-called Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779-1783), one of the many attempts by Spain to recover the Rock. Spain had lost Gibraltar in 1704 to Anglo-Dutch forces during the War of Spanish Succession. In the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 it was officially ceded to Britain. By the late 18th century, Gibraltar had become a symbol of national frustration—a strategic outpost that Spain sought to reclaim no matter the odds.
The plan by Juan de Aguas came at a time when Spain was willing to explore outlandish and ambitious projects, possibly out of desperation or simply creative zeal. This proposal was certainly one of the most extreme, detailing how the giant statue would be submerged across the entrance to Algeciras Bay, on which a stone mausoleum would be erected. His aim? To turn Gibraltar into an isolated fortress, vulnerable to siege and starvation.
A fantasy bound by reality
Of course, the plan was ultimately discarded, most likely due to its sheer impracticality. The waters around Gibraltar are notoriously deep, reaching an average of 364 metres with some areas almost a kilometre deep. The logistics of building such a structure were beyond Spain’s 18th-century engineering capabilities. Moreover, Juan de Aguas’ apparent ignorance of underwater geography, tidal effects, and strong winds dominating the bay further underlined the impossibility of the project.
Nevertheless, the scheme remains a fascinating window into the Spanish psyche during this period. Which showed a mixture of nationalist hope, military desperation, and whimsical creativity. It was a desperate bid to reclaim territory that had long since slipped out of their grasp, symbolic of the recurring struggles that defined Spain’s ambitions regarding Gibraltar.
Gibraltar today
In the present day, Gibraltar remains a British Overseas Territory, much to Spain’s ongoing frustration. The Rock is home to around 34,000 residents and maintains a strategic military and economic position at the entrance to the Mediterranean. Despite Brexit, Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly to remain under British sovereignty in a 2002 referendum. Herewith, the territory continues to navigate its unique position between Spain and the United Kingdom. Diplomatic tensions over Gibraltar occasionally flare up. However, the territory’s status remains largely unchanged, as both nations balance political rhetoric with the practicalities of cross-border cooperation.