In the Spanish province of La Rioja, the city of Logroño is home to a religious landmark known as the Imperial Church of Santa Mara de Palacio. It got its name because in 1130, King Alfonso VII of Castile gave the first foundation of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in the country of Castile—his palace. Because of this emperor, the church can now call itself "Imperial" as well.

The original structure of the Imperial Church of Santa Mara de Palacio dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, while the 15th-century rebuilding focused on the transept and chancel. The Gothic style pyramidal dome in the shape of an imperial crown has been preserved from the original building and continues to be an iconic feature of the cityscape. As a result of numerous renovations throughout its history, the church's original architectural style is now obscure.

The church's last three naves date back to the 13th century and were constructed in the Gothic architectural style. Fasciated pilasters and pointed arches supporting ribbed and tierceron vaults characterise the 15th and 16th century reconstruction of the transept and chancel. Last but not least, a reform was implemented in the 18th century to strengthen the structural elements of the interior so that the building could withstand the weight of the Baroque-style pyramidal spire on the exterior.

Longer naves were added to the church at Palacio, resulting in three separate sections that all terminate in apse chapels. The transept is Gothic in style and features an exterior extension in the form of a pyramidal tower, which is topped by an octagonal dome. Inside, the Romanesque carving of Nuestra Seora de la Antigua, the Gothic carving of the Virgen del Ebro, and the Flemish Immaculate Conception stand out, along with the main altarpiece by Arnao de Bruselas. San Bernabé, patron saint of Logroo and of San Mateo, in whose honour the Fiestas de la Vendimia are held, is depicted in the central nave, along with the figures located there from the end of the 17th century. The choir has 19 seats and is surrounded by Corinthian columns.

At present, visitors should enter on the southern side, at the base of the right nave. He constructed it in 1627. Juan de la Riba was the architect. The Assumption is depicted in a linteled opening between Baroque-style columns, with the two imperial coats of arms on either side. There is a second entrance honouring San Juan located on Ra Vieja, the other side of the church.

The church's spire is its most recognisable feature. The construction dates back to the 13th century. An octagonal lantern rests atop trumpets, which in turn support a stylized arrow with eight pyramidal faces, and the whole thing is subdivided into different sections by friezes and imposts. Projections in the form of dormers and pointed windows decorate the lower portion of the eight-sided shaft. Crests and pinnacles are crocketed along the outer edges.

Already in 1671, the spire was in danger of collapsing, and its removal was discussed. After studies by multiple architects, the entire church was renovated, though the spire lost its lower windows, cutting off much of the light and obscuring the view of the dome inside. The situation had gotten so bad that the passage of carriages along the Ra Mayor had been banned. In 1750, this project was finally finished.

The bell tower was added later, but Juan de Acha's original tower dates to around 1550 and is shorter than the Gothic spire. The structure has eight semicircular bays connected by a schiffed vault with corner finials, which culminates in a circular temple supported by thin columns and topped by a dome.

The original Cistercian cloister was square and austere in keeping with the order's aesthetic, but only its western wall survives today; the rest dates to the 17th century. This chapel can be accessed from the church's left nave or the Virgen de la Antigua Chapel. The Holy Sepulchre was housed in a chapel that faces east. The Virgen de la Antigua statue is housed in a Baroque altarpiece from the 17th or 18th century that combines Romanesque and Byzantine styles.