Adjacent to The Convent is a former Franciscan chapel built in 1532. The Church of the Convent was Gibraltar’s first purpose-built Christian church. Two others existed but had been converted from mosques. When Spanish rule ended in 1704 during the War of Spanish Succession, Britain gained control of Gibraltar. They claimed this for the Church of England, renamed it the King’s Chapel and closed all other places of worship. The building was heavily damaged by Spanish and French forces during the Great Siege of Gibraltar (1779 – 1783). When it was repaired in 1788, only a small section of the original nave was salvaged as a church. The balance was incorporated into the governor’s residence. The chapel has a long history of closures, refurbishments and changes in denomination. Today, it offers interdenominational Christian services and is a tourist attraction.
