Parliament of Illes Balears

Monuments | Palma de Mallorca

The building that currently houses the Balearic Islands Parliament dates back to the 19th century and was born as a result of two processes. On the one hand, the development of the former Santo Domingo convent grounds, which had been affected by confiscation, and on the other, the unification (in 1851) of two of the three casinos present in Mallorca in the second half of the 19th century - the Casino Balear and the Liceo Mallorquín. This is how the Círculo Mallorquín, the social headquarters of the Mallorcan bourgeoisie of the era, came into being. The Círculo Mallorquín was the venue for conferences, meetings, concerts and chamber music recitals. The musician Antoni Noguera (1858-1904), was the heart and soul of musical meetings and activities and the first to study Mallorcan musical folklore. Following the tender to carry out the extension of the building, held in 1898, the contract was awarded to Catalan architect Miquel Madorell i Rius. The fact that the works did not start until 1913 explains why the façade features characteristics that are closer to eclecticism than modernism. The building occupies one site with façades on two streets. The façade on calle Palau Reial maintains the 19th century portico, designed by architect Antonio Sureda. Meanwhile, the façade on calle Conquistador was completely remodelled with a symmetric composition, featuring eclectic architecture motifs that are more reminiscent of the late 19th century. The modernist ornamentation can be seen in the decorative floral elements in windows, columns and capitals. In its interior, highlights include the Sala de las Cariátides (Caryatids room), the former ballroom which was decorated by artist Ricard Anckerman in the 1880's, the library, the Montenegro room, the former lift and the former dining room-smoking room. Works were completed in 1918. Since 1982, it has housed the regional Parliament.