Palma Cathedral Architecture

The Palma Cathedral Spain, or La Seu de Palma, stands in the same place where an Arabian mosque was during the time of the Moors. 

It is fabled that King Jaume I got stuck in a terrible storm and vowed to build a church on the land where he would set foot if he survived the storm. 

King Jaume 1 laid the foundation stone of this magnificent church in 1230. The completion of the Cathedral has taken 400 years.

Construction of the Cathedral over centuries has led to Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque influences on Palma Cathedral’s architecture.

An earthquake in 1851 led to the destruction of parts of the Cathedral.

Multiple hands are credited with making Palma de Mallorca Cathedral’s architecture stand out. 

The world-famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, was invited to help rebuild the Cathedral of Palma, Mallorca.

Gaudí made significant structural changes, such as removing the baroque altar and adding the old Gothic altar.

Gaudi stopped work abruptly, and another artist named Miquel Barceló made further changes and renovations to the Palma Cathedral. 

The 15-meter-high entrance gate facing the sea, the El Mirador portal, is one of the most appealing Spanish pointed arch architecture relics.

You must see the beauty of this gothic monument in person by booking your tickets now.  

A tour guide will help you appreciate Palma Cathedral’s interiors.

Palma Cathedral Chapels

Palma Cathedral Chapels
Image: Commons.wikimedia.org

Palma Cathedral’s interiors are very uniquely designed.

The cathedral of Palma de Mallorca is rectangular and has two parallel rows of chapels. It is a rectangular building with three naves.

Each of the three naves has an apse. The two aisles open the Palma cathedral chapels.

Palma Cathedral has some of the most beautiful chapels in all of Spain. The major chapels that the Cathedral is home to include: 

Trinity Chapel (Capella de la Trinitat)

Trinity Chapel (Capella de la Trinitat)
Image: Wikipedia.org

The Trinity Chapel, or Capella de la Trinitat, is the royal tomb of the first dynasty of the kingdom of Mallorca. Read more 

It is also the tomb of the kings of Majorca, Jaume 2 and Jaume 3.

Royal Chapel Capella Reial 

Royal Chapel Capella Reial
Image: Wikipedia.org

Gothic architect Antoni Camprodon made the Royal Chapel Capella Reial. It includes the painting of the Mother of God from the Seu made by Pere Morey.

The chapel’s center has a huge wrought iron canopy designed by Antoni Gaudi. If you wish to view Gaudi’s work, we suggest you book a guided tour.

Chapel St. Eulalia  (Capella de Santa Eulalia)

Chapel St. Eulalia (Capella de Santa Eulalia)
Image: Wikipedia.org

This Chapel contains the tomb of the bishop Berenguer Battle, appointed in 1320.

The Chapel of the Holy Sacrament (Cappella del Santissimo Sacramento)

The Chapel of the Holy Sacrament
Image: Wikipedia.org

This Chapel gets its name from St. Peter, and Mallorcan artist Miquel Barcelo rebuilt it.

This modern chapel was located southeast of the cathedral and took five years to complete

Juan Carlos, the king, inaugurated it.

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Crown (Capella de Nostra Senyora de la Corona)

This chapel was formerly known as Our Lady of Passion. 

Chapel St. Martin (Capella de Sant Marti)

Chapel St. Martin
Image: Wikipedia.org

Famous sculptor Francis Herrera made the altarpiece of Saint Martin between 1723 and 1739.

Chapel St. Bernard (Capella de Sant Bernat) 

Chapel St. Bernard
Image: Commons.wikimedia.org

The alabaster altarpiece of Saint Bernard is a neo-gothic masterpiece made by architect Joan Rubio i Bellver and sculptor Tomas Vila from 1913 to 1921. 

St. Gabriel (Capella de Sant Gabriel)

St. Gabriel
Image: Wikipedia.org

St. Anthony’s Chapel (Capella de Sant Antoni)

St. Anthony’s Chapel
Image: Wikipedia.org

Palma cathedral roof

Palma cathedral roof
Image: Catedraldemallorca.org

The Cathedral of Palma is the world’s second-largest of all Gothic cathedrals. The cathedral’s roof overlooks the entire city and the bay of Palma.

Palma Cathedral’s roof was constructed using the famous sandstone of Mallorca, pale golden in the sunshine.

It dominates the Palma skyline and presides over the city.

The most spectacular of the three facades are southern, where you can appreciate the Gothic style with decorative features such as gargoyles, railings and spires.

It takes two hundred fifteen sets of spiral steps to reach the top of the cathedral, which is forty-three meters high.

For centuries Palma Cathedral’s roof terraces have been inaccessible and dark. A few years ago, they were cleaned up and opened to the public.

From May till October, one can access the Cathedral’s terraces and enjoy a panoramic view of the city.

A one-hour tour of the Palma Cathedral’s roof is an add-on. Each tour is limited to about 20 people, so not too crowded.

You would have plenty of time to wander, take photos, and enjoy a bird’s eye view of Palma.

See how the humid and salty air damages the soft stone and detect the work of the artists who have mended and repaired the cathedral.

You pass historic graffiti of early refugees and small lookouts that allow first vistas from within.

The tour makes it possible to access the terraces and see its main rose window at eye level, one of the largest in Europe.

You can glimpse Eloi in the bell tower, the largest of the nine bells, which only rings on rare occasions. 

Palma Cathedral Rose Window

Palma Cathedral Rose Window
Image: Catedraldemallorca.org

The Palma de Mallorca Cathedral, or ‘La Seu,’ as it is known, is the jewel in the crown of Majorcan architecture. 

It is one of the most visited cathedrals in Spain and one of the main tourist attractions.

The large Palma cathedral rose window is “the eye of the Gothic.”

Palma Cathedral rose window measures 13.8 meters in diameter and contains 24 equilateral triangles and 1,236 pieces of glass, making it the largest Gothic Rosette in the world.

It is also a sundial that marks the hours and seasons.

Each year at Christmas, a phenomenon of unique beauty in the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca occurs.

The first rays of the morning sun fall on one of the rosettes, cross the cathedral and influence the other on the opposite side. This projects into the beautiful street with the surreal colors of the rosette.

This phenomenon is not coincidental. Mathematical laws govern the transfer of light from inside the cathedral to the outside.

On the symmetrical dates of November 11 (11/11) Candlemas and February 2 (2/2), if the sun shines between 08:00 am and 09:00 am, the reflection from the rose window is projected on the opposite wall, just below the other, forming a double Rosette.

This is known as the “eight” and symbolizes the union of humans and the spiritual. You can visit the cathedral on these dates to look at the occurrence yourself.

Due to this window, the Palma Cathedral, called the `Cathedral of Light,’ is a must-see for everyone who visits Palma. Book your tickets now to enjoy this beauty.

Featured Image: Sndr / Getty Images

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