- Address: Plaza Almoina, s / n, 07001 Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain
- Opening hours: 10: 00-17: 15
- Architectural style: Gothic architecture
- Phone: +34 902 02 24 45
The main religious structure of the Balearic Islands is the cathedral of Palma de Mallorca . The locals often call it la Seu: this is the traditional name of the cathedrals in the kingdom of Aragon, one of the most ancient states in the territory of modern Spain.
The history of the construction of the cathedral
The Palma Cathedral is considered to be the main attraction of Mallorca.
According to legend, the fleet of King Aragon Jaime I near Mallorca fell into a terrible storm, and the king made a vow to the virgin Mary to build a temple if the fleet escaped. The fleet safely reached the coast of the island, the troops drove the Moors, and the king fulfilled his vow - erected a magnificent temple right on the site of the destroyed Muslim mosque. It is not known whether he promised something romantic in the spirit of "erecting a temple that the world has not seen before", but for the sake of justice it is worth saying that the cathedral in Palma de Mallorca is in fact an architectural masterpiece, besides striking and its size - its height is more than 44 meters, length and width - 120 and 55 meters, respectively. It can accommodate 18 thousand people at the same time.
However, under Jaime I the construction just started, and it lasted more than three hundred years. That is why it is possible to attribute it to the style of the Levantine Gothic: in fact, the architecture of the Palma Cathedral harmoniously combines elements of styles that appeared much later, although the basis, of course, is the Spanish Gothic style.
Later alterations
He put his hand to the image of the Palma Cathedral and such a renowned architect as Antonio Gaudi. He was engaged in the restoration of the cathedral from 1904 to 1914. Despite the fact that the authorities in every possible way limited the overly modernist-minded architect (in fact, he wanted to simply demolish the old cathedral and build a new one), but still managed to leave a trace of Gaudi: new stained-glass windows made according to his sketches, and a massive nave windows-rosettes, and the separation of choirs, and a metal canopy for the choir of the royal chapel. In addition, he replaced the candle lighting of the cathedral electric.
Cathedral today
The cathedral strikes the eye with its splendor and harmony. Particular attention should be paid to the Royal Chapel with its altar, stained glass windows, most of which date back to the 14-16th centuries, the chapel of the Holy Trinity. At the cathedral there is a museum, in addition to religious relics, there are beautiful examples of medieval painting and jewelry art.
It is better to take to the cathedral for a whole day - after visiting you will simply overflow your impressions.
Interesting Facts
- On February 2 and November 11, a colored projection of the main rose appears on the western wall of the cathedral; True, you can see it only for a few seconds at about 8 in the morning;
- The size of the key from the main nave affects not less than the size of the cathedral itself: its length is about 1 meter;
- the largest bell weighs 6 tons;
- rosette "gothic eye" - one of the largest in the world, its diameter - just under 14 meters;
- one of the tiers of the bell tower was a prison, and on its walls you can see inscriptions made by prisoners;
- there are concerts of organ music.
When and how to visit the Cathedral of Palma?
The address of the cathedral in Palma is Plaza Almonia. He works daily from 10-00 to 17-15, but if you plan to visit the Cathedral of Mallorca on Saturday - the hours of work are better to clarify by phone +34 902 02 24 45.
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