Santa Maria Church

Right in the centre of Maó rises a solid silhouette finished off with a bell tower, which characterises the city. We are talking about the Santa Maria Church. Around the mid 14th century the foundations of the original temple were laid, gothic style but smaller in size, under the base of the current building. During the assault carried out by Redbeard, the building was seriously damaged and during the 18th century a strike of lightning finished it off for good. So, it was not until 1748, during the British dominion, when the building we can now admire was built.

The interior is inspired on the neoclassic; it has a single hall with a crossed dome and side chapels. The church outstands for its beautiful façades; the main one opens out to the so called Pla de sa Parroquia, A spot where they celebrate festivities and lead processions. The west side façade is facing the Plaça de la Conquesta, Where there is a statue in the honour of King Alfonso 3rd , who annexed the island with the reign of Aragon. The complex is a neoclassic building with a gothic door archway and an image of the Virgin Mary at the top.

We can also come across an exceptional object, its incredibly big organ, built between 1807 and 1810 by the Swiss manufacturer Juan Kyburz, and gifted with an awesome harmony and art. It is considered a real gem among those of the same category due to the fact that it has four keyboards with 3600 sound tubes of which 197 are made of wood, whilst the rest are made of metal. The Fundació del Organ de Santa María de Maó organizes classical music concerts.