The Cathedral of the Annunciation of Mary was built between 1781 and 1783 in Baroque style. During the Yugoslav Wars on September 15, 1991, the church burned down: the roof and the top of the tower burned completely, while the interior of the church was damaged by fire. The reconstruction began in 1992 and ended in 1999.
On May 25, 2000, with the Bull 'Ad christifidelium spirituali' Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Gospić-Senj, while bringing the church to the status of cathedral.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.