Churches

Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned

Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned

The Cathederal of St Mary the Crowned is built on the site of what used to be a very beautiful and richly decorated mosque.After the Christians drove the Moors from the Rock in 1462 the mosque was used as a church until the Spanish King Ferdinand and his wife Isabella decreed that it be stripped of its Islamic past and be enlarged. They donated the bells and clock for the 100 ft tower, which remain to this day. Their coat of arms was placed in the courtyard where it can still be seen.

The courtyard was four times its present size and contained an orange grove surrounded by cloisters. The church itself extended to the opposite side of what is now Main Street.

During the Great Siege, the church suffered extensive damage, and despite attempts to rebuild it little progress was made.

In 1790, Governor Boyd offered his assistance in return for a third of the land, which enabled him to re-route Main Street. An on-going after affect of this loss of ground is that mortal remains are frequently uncovered during routine excavations of the road outside. During the recent beautification of Main Street the

opportunity was taken to do an archeological investigation when the asphalt was removed to make way for the paving stones.

Inside the Cathedral the high altar is very grandiose, done in the style of that of St. Peter ’ s in Rome.

The beautiful marble plinths and columns, with the six ton bogatino top were originally bound for South America when the ship carrying this precious cargo sank in the harbour. It was salvaged and placed in the church.

The Cathedral is named after Our Lady of Europe. There is a statue in her honour at the altar, a duplicate of the original in the Shrine at Europa Point.

Another statue has been given the unusual name of Our Lady of the Flannels. It was found floating in a box in the harbour sometime in the 18

th century in flannels!

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

The foundation stone for Holy Trinity was laid in 1825 and the design was done in the Moorish style to commemorate the fact that the Moors first landed in Europe at Gibraltar in 711. It was not first used as a church but as an emergency hospital when a ravaging epidemic of yellow fever broke out in 1828.

Although the church wasn ’t completed at that time, it was far enough along to be used in this capacity.

With the Dowager Queen Adelaide present, Holy Trinity was consecrated in 1838. With the creation of the Diocese of Gibraltar the church became a cathedral in 1838. In 1979 it was extended to the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe which means the Anglican Bishop of Gibraltar is responsible for all Anglican churches in Europe excepting the British Isles. HolyTrinity is located at Cathedral Square.

Church of Scotland

Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland has a small but devout congregation in Gibraltar. Scotland’ s national church found its way to Gibraltar with Presbyterians in the military forces. Its followers experienced

many years of persecution for their worship. It was not until 1840 that Presbyterianism became an established church in Gibraltar. It served expatriates, servicemen and members of other Reform churches.

This did not stop the opposition, and it says much of the faith and the generosity of the Church’ s followers that the beautiful Church of St Andrews in

Governor ’ s Parade was built about 140 years ago from their own resources. Neither the government nor the armed forces made a contribution.

King’s Chapel

King ’ s Chapel is the name of the Garrison church beside the Convent. Although is was known as Queen ’ s Chapel during Victorian times, Queen Elizabeth II did not wish to change its name a second time. The wife of the Spanish governor (1648) is buried here as are British governors O’Hara (1802) and Campbell (1813). Regular Sunday services are open to the public.

Located in the heart of the town. Its five bells, hanging from the towers, give it a unique and appealing beauty. Inside are many statues that were brought from Genoa. The Government began construction in 1812 and the church was meant to serve both the military and civilian population. King’s Chapel

King’s Chapel Interior