St. Mary's Church, Peñíscola

Between the portals of Fosque and Santa Maria, inside the fortress walls, is the church of Santa Maria (Iglesia de Santa Maria), the beginning of construction of which historians refer to the 13th century. Originally a Gothic-style building, it was destroyed by fire in the mid-15th century. The restoration of the church took almost two centuries, and as a result, side chapels were added to the main nave. A hundred years later, from 1725 to 1739, the church was rebuilt again, receiving a new facade in the Baroque style. The work was led by architect José Antonio Simó. In 1743, the Communion Chapel was added.

The church received its final appearance in 1862, when a bell tower with a height of 17.5 meters was built. The author of the project, Vicente Martí, without further ado, took as a basis the bell tower of the Church of Our Lady of Hermitana, built a century earlier. The new bell tower differs from the prototype only in the presence of a clock.

In 1995, the church was completely renovated. I must say that the plastered walls and modest portal give the church the appearance of an ordinary building - I passed by its walls three times and, until I saw the bell tower in one of the alleys (it is also quite difficult to notice it from narrow streets), I did not even think that it was a church.