Palma de Mallorca

 Palma de Mallorca is known for it's beautiful beaches, stunning coastline, and historical landmarks. As we were only there for the day, we focused our attention on the Old Town. (although, the photos I've seen of the coastline really make me want to return and spend a few days exploring the beaches and coast.)

Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca

We started our day at the Cathedral of Palma, also known as the Cathedral de Santa Maria de Palma or La Seu. This massive gothic cathedral dominates the skyline and is one of Spain's largest cathedrals.

The Cathedral dates back to the 13th Century. King Jaume I was on his way to recapture Mallorca when he was caught in a terrible storm.  He vowed to Saint Mary that if he was delivered from the storm he would erect a church in her honour. After his prayers were answered he began work on the cathedral almost immediately. The project would take almost 300 years to complete.

One of the most beautiful aspects to the cathedral is the stained glass rose window, one of the largest stained glass windows in the world. It has a diameter of 13 meters and covers nearly 100 square meters, made up of 1,236 crystal pieces. As the sunlight passes through the windows it creates a beautiful splash of colour in the church.

For only 2 days a year (February 2 and November 11) the church is illuminated in a different way. During these days, the light passes through the main rose window and its reflection is projected on the wall in front, forming a double rose window, known as the spectacle of eight.

Photo by Juan José Lozano on Unsplash

La Almudaina Palace

Next to the Cathedral stands the Royal Palace of La Almudaina.  It was originally built by the Romans as a fortress.  During the rule of the Moors in the 10th century, it was transformed into something grander, including baths, heated floors, saunas and steam rooms.  When the Christian Conquerors came along in the 13th century, they rebuilt it as a palace. Because of these different influences, the palace has an exquisite blend of architecture of Moorish, Gothic, and Renaissance.

Today, the palace is one of the official summer residences of the Spanish Royal Family.  While most of their leisure time is spent at Marivent Palace, La Almudaina is used for a workplace and receptions.

Placa de Cort

Placa de Cort is a charming central square in the heart of old town. It is named Cort as this is the spot where the fuedal court would gather.  On one side of the square sits the baroque style Town Hall which was built in the 1600s.

In the center of the square stands a 600 year old olive tree that was transplanted from Pollença as a symbol of peace.

Bellver Castle

High on a hill, overlooking the town and the sea, sits the gothic Bellver Castle. It was built in the 14th century by King Jaume II as a residence, but it was hardly ever used as one.  In fact, for a lot of it's 700-year existance, it has been used as a prison. Today, it is used as an event space and a museum.

Bellver Castle is the only castle in Spain, and one of the few castles in Europe, that is entirely circular.

Photo by Waseem Ahmed on Unsplash

Unfortunately we were only able to walk the grounds around the castle as it was closed the day we were there.  We were able to get some pictures from the outside, and enjoy the incredible views. 

I wish we had more time to explore.  One of the downsides of cruising is having a very limited time to explore each stop.  My list of places that I want to return to is growing.