Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, Gibraltar

Saint Mary the Crowned (Santa Maria la Coronada) is Gibraltar's Roman Catholic cathedral. When the city was retaken from the Moors in 1492, the main mosque in town was stripped of its Islamic trappings and rededicated as a parish church called Saint Mary the Crowned and Saint Bernard (Santa Maria la Coronada y San Bernardo).

The church was demolished by the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, and a new Gothic-style church replaced it. The coats of arms of the Catholic Monarchs and Emperor Charles V can be seen today in the courtyard. The courtyard is the remains of the larger Moorish court of the mosque. The Cathedral of St. Mary was dedicated in August 1492.

The worst siege of Gibraltar was the massive onslaught by Spanish and French forces in the Great Siege of 1779 - 1783. After it was over, all that remained of the cathedral were four exterior walls, some columns, the vaulted ceilings over the altars, and the shortened bell tower.

The Cathedral of St. Mary today has a unique style, combining both Gothic and Renaissance elements. The facade is colored a dusty pink. The central portal is flanked by fluted white-edged pilasters, two on each side. Above the entrance is an arched pediment.

Inside the cathedral are the High Altar and the altars of the Blessed Sacrament, St. Anthony, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and St. Bernard. The Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes is on the left side, near the patio entrance.