Palma Cathedral

In 1931, it was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument. Furthermore, it has the largest rose window in the Gothic world, the original largest rose window among all European Gothic cathedrals (13 meters in diameter). There are cathedrals with larger rose windows (15m), but they belong to the Neo-Gothic style. It is also one of the cathedrals with the tallest nave among European Gothic-style cathedrals. The building is enormous, with its vault reaching a height of 45 meters, surpassed only by the 48-meter-high Beauvais Cathedral, the tallest Gothic cathedral in the world, and slightly lower than the height of the Milan Cathedral (45 meters), but taller than the Cologne Cathedral (43 meters). The building covers an area of 6,655 square meters, with an interior volume of 160,000 cubic meters.

Its construction began in 1229, after the island was conquered by the Crown of Aragon. King James I decided to demolish the ancient great mosque of Medina Mayurqa to build a grand temple dedicated to Santa Maria. This decision was made after a strong storm occurred during their sea journey to Mallorca to conquer it, and the king promised to build a cathedral in honor of Santa Maria if she saved them from death.

In 1346, King James III attended its consecration once it was considered "finished," although construction and finishing works continued for many years afterward. It was not fully completed until 1601, and even then, it has been continuously renovated and restored over time.

The conquest of the island, which was under Muslim control, by James I of Aragon, also known as James the Conqueror, in 1229, resulted in several significant outcomes, including the reestablishment of the Diocese of Mallorca. However, the new bishop, Raymond of Torrelles, was not appointed until the end of 1237. Between the years 1230 and 1256, construction and partial consecrations took place under the leadership of Bishop Peter of Morella in 1269 and 1271. The works began on the site where the mosque of Madîna Mayûrqa once stood, gradually demolishing it as the construction of the new building progressed. The mosque was completely demolished in 1386. Construction of the cathedral began in the late 13th century and continued for three and a half centuries. The first architect of the project was Ponç des Coll, who began by constructing the Trinity Chapel on the eastern side. Ponç was followed by Jaime Fabre, who was also the architect of the Church of Santo Domingo in Palma and the Barcelona Cathedral. Subsequently, between 1314 and 1327, the current Royal Chapel was built after expanding the Mirador Square towards the sea. In the mid-14th century, the construction of the three aisles continued with the involvement of Berenguer de Montagut. It is believed that some of the materials used were obtained from Portals Vells Cove, where blocks were extracted by drilling enormous caves into the cliffs and then transported by ship to Palma.

Construction Theories

There are three theories regarding the construction of the three naves and apses of the cathedral. The first theory, which is now obsolete and no longer defended by anyone, suggests that the current layout reflects the original plan of the project. The second theory, proposed in the 20th century by architect Guillem Forteza, is based on evidence from the construction itself. It asserts that originally there was meant to be a single nave with the same width as the Royal Chapel. Therefore, the nave was supposed to continue to the bell tower with the same height and structure as the chapel. However, in the mid-14th century, the decision was made to change the plan and create three naves, contrary to what happened in other cathedrals like those in Perpignan or Girona.

The third and final theory, also based on construction evidence, suggests a change in the project plan, transitioning to three naves, similar to the Barcelona Cathedral. All the naves were initially shorter than their current height, with little difference in height between the central nave and the side naves, similar to the aforementioned Barcelona Cathedral and Santa María del Mar. In the mid-14th century, it was decided to raise all the naves, a change related to the reincorporation of the Kingdom of Mallorca into the Crown of Aragon in 1343 by Alfonso III of Aragon.

Gabriel Alomar believes that the three apses of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Perpignan follow the same model as the one in Mallorca. However, the foundation stone of Saint John's was laid in 1324, before the plan had been changed on the island, which occurred around 1330. Furthermore, the construction of the Royal Chapel, completed in 1327, hadn't even finished yet.

According to Marcel Durliat, the architects in 1368 were Jaume Matas and Llorenç Sosquela. However, authors such as Alexandre Cirici and Agustín Durán Sanpere argue that the architect leading the project during the plan change was Berenguer de Montagut. The works were directed between 1386 and 1397 by Guillem Oliveres, while Pere Morei, Jean de Valenciennes, Henry the German, and Guillem Sagrera were responsible for sculpting the Mirador portal. The north vault was completed in 1430, indicating that half of the cathedral had been finished after a century of work. The Almoina portal was built in 1498, and the Main portal was constructed by Miquel Verger between 1594 and 1601, the year the temple was consecrated.

Some vaults collapsed during the 17th and 18th centuries due to the narrowness of the columns compared to the vast span of the arches. However, the cathedral remained standing. In 1854, the renovation of the facade began under the supervision of architect Juan Bautista Peyronnet.

Renovation by Antoni Gaudí

The Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí carried out a renovation between 1904 and 1914, during the time when the bishop of the diocese was Pere Campins. This renovation was criticized mainly for the demolition of various attached elements, such as the corridor of the Ciris (Candles in Catalan), in Mudéjar style.

Gaudí removed the Baroque altarpiece of the Royal Chapel, which covered the Trinity Chapel, as well as the Gothic altarpiece, and began to open windows and rose windows. Gaudí moved the main altar to be under the first vault of the presbytery and relocated the choir stalls, the work of Felip Fulló, from the Renaissance choir in the middle of the central nave to the side walls of the Royal Chapel. Between the Royal Chapel and the first column, he built galleries with elements from the choir and the presbytery, and placed the seats next to the mentioned columns. Gaudí also created the ceramic decoration of the coat of arms of the Bishop of Mallorca, located on the wall on each side of the episcopal chair, and in the same place, he placed the texts of the Roman pontificate with golden wrought iron letters. Likewise, the Catalan architect is responsible for the wrought-iron gate that closes the main apse, with the divided coat of arms of the city, the lamp stands of the columns, popularly known as "trobigueres," the model of the baldachin, suspended with cables and with temporary interior electric lighting, the sound reflector of the choir or main seat, currently missing, and the design of the symbols of the basilica, among other elements.

Juan Rubió, Josep Maria Jujol, Guillem Reynés Font, and Joaquín Torres García collaborated with Gaudí. Josep M. Jujol began polychroming the choir stalls and the back wall with a representation of the universe made with splashes of paint. This intervention was interrupted due to strong opposition, but the completed part is still visible. In 2010, the ensemble of 170 square meters of ceramic murals was restored.

Renovation by Miquel Barceló

The Chapel of St. Peter was renovated by Miquel Barceló over a period of five years between 2001 and 2006 and has become a new tourist attraction. Barceló's work depicts the Eucharist through the multiplication of loaves and fishes, allowing him to showcase marine life, as well as the wedding at Cana around the resurrected Christ.

The lower part of the chapel's walls is covered with painted ceramic tiles, spanning an area of 300 square meters, and was crafted in the workshop of ceramist Vicenzo Santoriello in Vietri sul Mare, near Naples. Barceló is also the author of the liturgical furnishings: the altar, ambo, presider's chair, and two pedestals. Both the destruction of the previous chapel and the new design, particularly the representation of Christ, sparked strong controversy. The darkness of the 12-meter-high stained glass windows, painted with grisaille to recreate underwater light, and the artist's fees were also subjects of discussion. The main supporters of the new chapel were Bishop Teodor Úbeda i Gramage and Canon Pere Llabrés i Martorell, and the renovation was carried out by the Art a la Seu Foundation, with funding from various public institutions and private entities. Currently, the previous artistic gate of the chapel remains dismantled at the Mirador portal, exposed to the elements for years.

Since September 9, 1905, the cathedral has held the title of Minor Basilica, a distinction granted by the Holy See.

The Levantine Gothic-style Cathedral in Palma is a remarkable architectural masterpiece influenced by both Northern European and Mediterranean styles. Standing at 121 meters in length and 55 meters in width, its design deviates from classical French models. Instead, it features a German hall-style floor plan with three aisles and lacks an ambulatory or transept. The interior height reaches an impressive 44 meters, thanks to the distinct difference in height between the central nave and side aisles. To support this structure, numerous buttresses with double arcades were incorporated, showcasing Northern European influences uncommon in Levantine churches.

One of its most striking features is the enormous rose window, known as the "eye of Gothic," boasting a diameter of approximately 13.8 meters. Unusually positioned above the central altar in the apse, it also incorporates a large six-pointed star (Star of David) within its intricate design. The cathedral's architectural elements include notable portals, pillars, and modifications carried out in the early 20th century by renowned architect Antoni Gaudí. Gaudí's interventions included relocating the choir, creating a baldachin for the main altar, adding a new pulpit, and incorporating Modernist design elements.

Adjacent to the cathedral stands the Casa de la "Almoina," currently housing the Capitular Archive of Mallorca. This annex building enhances the historical significance of the cathedral complex.

Jaime II of Mallorca ordered in his 1306 will to be buried in a chapel dedicated to the Trinity that would be built in the cathedral. At the beginning of the 14th century, it was precisely in this chapel that the construction of the cathedral began, next to the presbytery, which was referred to in the documentation as the "new chapel" and currently known as the Royal Chapel. It is likely that the chapel was not completed at the time of the king's death in 1311. The construction work continued during the reign of Sancho I and Jaime III of Mallorca.

The central apse or Royal Chapel contains three sections with the coat of arms of the Four Bars and the city of Mallorca on the keystones of the vault, as well as the repeated coat of arms of the Four Bars on the walls. At the back, there is the episcopal chair (1346) made of white Carrara marble with gilding added by Antoni Gaudí. Behind this throne, seven meters above the Trinity chapel, there are two floors: a high one open to the central nave, prepared with arcosolia in its walls to accommodate the royal tombs. This elevated sanctuary, similar to the one in the Church of Santa Cruz in Palma and the two floors of the palatine chapel in the Palace of the Kings of Mallorca in Perpignan, consists of two sections.

It was built as a family pantheon for the exclusive Mallorca dynasty and since 1947 it has housed the cenotaphs of Jaime II and Jaime III of Mallorca, created by the sculptor Frederic Marès i Deulovol. The lower floor, located eight meters below, was originally intended as a crypt and is currently used as a sacristy.

The grand organ is the work of the Mallorcan organ builders Gabriel Tomàs and Josep Bosch from the late 18th century. It was constructed between 1795 and 1797 within the existing organ case built by Pablo Rosell in 1477. In 1929, the instrument was modernized, with an expanded range of stops. It was restored in 1993 with organs by Albert Blancafort and Pere Reynés. The organ is located on the side of the nave. It has 54 stops, 4 manual keyboards with 56 notes each, and a 30-note pedalboard.