Iglesia del Carmen

Right next to the market you can find the Church del Carmen: the most impressive religious monument in Mahon. Its name originates from the devotion of the inhabitants of Mahon for the virgin del Carmen, patron saint of fishermen. Every year, on July 16th, the city organizes a religious celebration during which take place a procession and various popular animations.

The construction of this church started in 1750 after several years of negotiation between the Carmelite order and the English government of the time. This construction was however interrupted many times due to the quarrels with the Franciscans, who had a certain authority and were against the arrival of this establishment on the island.

Before the completion of the work in 1826, the Carmelites were temporarily expelled from the city. This expulsion became definitive in 1835 and the goods of the church were then transferred in the hands of the State following a government decree. It took over 70 years to finish it, but the steeples still remain incomplete.

The overall plan of this temple has a neo-classical style and is shaped like a Latin cross.