Looking out over the bay of Palma is the monumental Majorca Cathedral, also known by locals as La Seu. It is a church built in the Spanish Levant Gothic style, with Renaissance Roman walls to protect the city from attacks from seafaring invaders. It is the only Gothic cathedral to have this unusual feature,
and was declared a historic and artistic heritage site in 1931. Construction of the cathedral began in 1229 but was not completed until 1601.
Everything in the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca is immense. It is said that it has the largest Gothic rose window in the world, with a diameter of no less than 15 metres. The entire building is enormous and its dome reaches the lofty height of 44 metres, surpassed only by the Cathedral of Beauvais, at 48 metres. In total, it is 21 metres long and 55 metres wide, with three chapels along the top and numerous side chapels between the buttresses.
As well as its historic and religious significance, since 2007 it has also had the Capilla del Santísimo or de San Pedro, a chapel decorated by the artist Miquel Barceló in a controversial style that people either love or hate, but which is definitely worth a look. Miquel Barceló has depicted the miracle of the loaves and fishes in cracked clay, making it feel more like a cave than a chapel. It’s a must-see if you are in Majorca.
If you visit it around noon, you’ll see how the sun passes behind the rose window and sheds multicoloured lights all over the cathedral. It’s truly a beautiful sight.
If you need to, you can use the Saba public car park on Plaza de San Antonio. It’s right in the city centre and just a short distance away from the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca. It’s the perfect place to park your vehicle and just enjoy the city.
