Medieval watchtower on Gibraltar’s summit, later base of Signal Station.
Torre d'Hacho was a medieval Christian-era watchtower on the highest part of the Rock of Gibraltar, at Mount Misery, where Breakneck Battery or Signal Station stands today. Circular in plan, it controlled nearby sea areas. The English flag was first raised there in 1704.
Torre d'Hacho was a watchtower situated at the highest part of the Rock of Gibraltar, on the summit of Mount Misery. The site is now occupied by Breakneck Battery, known as the Signal Station. Since 1825 only the base of the original tower has remained. The tower had a circular ground plan and was constructed during the medieval Christian period in order to control the sea from a medium altitude. It formed part of the fortifications of Gibraltar. In 1704 the English flag was hoisted there for the first time, marking its role in the change of control over Gibraltar. In 1720 a signal cannon was installed at the site, reinforcing its importance for communication and observation over the surrounding waters and approaches. Today, although the original structure survives only as a base, the location is documented in historical illustrations of Gibraltar, including a 1567 panoramic view by Anton van den Wyngaerde preserved in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where the position of Torre d'Hacho is marked. The tower is classified among the watchtowers of Gibraltar and is associated with the broader system of historical defenses of the area.
