n the Plaza de la Constitución, at number 22, dominating the square, stands the Parish church of Sant Bartomeu, a building erected in different stages of construction, evident in the various different remains that can be seen around it. The original church was built before 1236, undergoing various modifications throughout the centuries. On the side façade on the calle del Born is the old entrance to the medieval church, with a walled-up semicircular doorway; in calle de Joan Baptista Ensenyat, you can still make out a large Romanesque gabled window; and on the exterior, remains can be seen of the 16th century walled fortification, built as a consequence of the most devastating Turkish assault that the town of Sóller suffered in 1561. The interior still boasts very beautiful Gothic and Baroque altarpieces. The church seen today is a Baroque structure (1688-1733), with an art nouveau façade designed in 1904 by the Catalan architect and Gaudí disciple, Joan Rubió i Bellver. The new façade starts from the entrance atrium consisting of three ogival arches, flanked by two angels sheltering the statue of San Bartolomé, patron saint of the city, and crowned by a staggered structure. The result is a façade of Neo-Gothic inspiration, with the greyish colour of the Sóller limestone catching your attention, with its rough or rustic treatment, giving the façade an interesting texture. At number 21 of this square is the Bank of Sóller, which was built in 1889 in order to safeguard the capital accumulated by the emigrants returning from France and the Americas. It is the work of the same architect who designed the façade of the parish church, Joan Rubió i Bellver. The building was renovated in 1910-1912 with the same rustic treatment as the parish church façade, as if it were a continuation of that building. Distinctive features are the original design of the openings, the projecting double balcony in the style of Gaudí, the circular doorway and the meticulous ironwork on the windows in complicated curved forms.
The Parish Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord is located on the side of Sant Salvador mountain. It overlooks the entire village. This Neo-Gothic building was started in 1573 to replace the small 13th century ancient Church. The chevet was finished in the 17th century, and the vault completed in 1816. The attached bell tower dates from the 17th century. Two portals give access to the building. The main portal known as Portal de ses Dones (Portal of Women) dates from the 19th century. It is decorated by the architect Bartomeu Ferrà. We must highlight here the modernist style of the pointed portal and the big rose window. The second portal is known as Portal dels Homes (Portal of Men). This entrance is still unfinished. The exterior structure features side buttresses and a lateral dome that decorates the building. Once inside the building, the visitor will find up to 14 small chapels dedicated to different Saints. We must highlight here the chapel dedicated to The Rosary. The altarpiece was installed in 1906 and represents different scenes of The Transfiguration of The Lord. Other important elements are the 17th century baptismal font, the 19th century pipe organ and the impressive stained glass windows.
This Catholic temple, considered an Asset of Cultural Interest since 1931, is named after the patron saint of Barcelona, highly revered by the Christian conquerors from Catalonia. The parish church of Sant Eulalia is located a stone's throw from the emblematic Plaza de Cort, where the imposing Palma City Hall building is located. From the outside, the side walls of the Gothic temple contrast with the main facade and the bell tower, remodeled in neo-Gothic style between 1894 and 1903, due to the earthquake that occurred in Mallorca in 1851. In the chapels of this parish there are examples of the medieval Mallorcan style, such as the tables of Salvatore Mundi (Francesc Comes), the Dormition of the Virgin and the altarpieces of Santa Lucia, Santa Barbara and San Blas. There are also numerous examples of baroque as the altarpiece of St. Bartholomew and the Pietà, as well as St. Eloy. The monumentality of this temple is due to the fact that in the 13th century it was the largest parish church in Palma. In addition, this church has historical relevance, since it was crowned as king of Mallorca Jaime II.
Ramon Llull’s grave is located in the second chapel radiating out from the altar end of the Sant Francesc basilica. The church was designed by Francesc Sagrera in 1487. In the lower part are the niches where the allegorical figures of the seven arts were to be placed, the trivium and the quadrivium. In the middle are the coats-of-arms of Mallorca, the Catholic Kings and the Llull family line. And above is the sarcophagus of the Illuminated Doctor (Doctor Illuminatus, as Llull was known), with a reclining sculpture showing two angels accompanying the soul of the deceased into heaven. Here we can situate a strophe from Cant de Ramon, which talks autobiographically about old age. The poem might date from the end of Lully’s sojourn in Paris in around 1299. It is a true gem of Lullian lyricism because of its declaredly human character and its notes of sensitivity: Sóc hom vell, pobre, menyspreat, no hai ajuda d'home nat e hai trop gran fait emparat. Gran res hai de lo món cercat; mant bon eximpli hai donat: poc són conegut e amat. Vull morir en pèlag d'amor… (I am an old, poor, scorned man, there is no help from any man born and protected by a great faith. There is nothing in the world sought but a good example I have given: I am little known and loved I want to die in a sea of love.) Legend has it that Ramon Llull was stoned to death in 1316 in the North African city of Bougie. Seriously wounded, he was carried away by Genovese sailors and died in the ship that was transporting him to Mallorca just off the coast of the island. Gaston Vuillier re-creates the legend: “In Bougie he was wounded and finally stoned by the inhabitants at the gateway to the city. Some Genovese fishermen gathered his corpse and departed for his homeland. But when they thought they were entering the port of Genoa they realised that instead they were off the coast of Mallorca. They resolved to once again pursue the goal of their journey, but the boat, retained by a mysterious force, did not move forward despite their efforts and the favourable wind that filled the sails. They disembarked on the land, told the wondrous deed there and finally understood that they were destined to return Ramon Llull’s body to this land. Then, resuming their journey, they travelled without hindrances.” Vuillier goes on: “It had been decided that the corpse would be deposited in Santa Eulàlia church where the ashes of his ancestors rested. However, the religious men of Sant Francesc claimed him as a member of their community, and he was placed with great pomp within the sacristy of the convent and later transported to the grave he currently occupies.”
Parish church of Estellencs built in the seventeenth century and expanded in the nineteenth century. It includes a 16th century defense tower converted into a bell tower.
The hermitage of Santa Magdalena is a Gothic construction of medieval origin (XIV century). It is located in a natural area of special interest for its ecological value. You can enjoy a beautiful panorama. It has a simple facade with a round portal with a small rose window on top that ends with a belfry. Inside, a single nave divided into four sections by diaphragm arches. Covered by a wooden coffered ceiling.
Sanctuary of the Mare de Déu de Cura at the top of the Randa's mountain (543 ms) in the municipality of Algaida in boundary limits with Llucmajor. It was recovered at the beginning of XX century. The regular Franciscanos tertiary becomes position and installs the Majorcan province noviciate. In 1955 the image of the Virgin of Cures was crowned by the Pope.
The Church of San Nicolás is located in the street of Estrecho San Nicolás in Palma, on the island of Mallorca. The primitive building of the church of San Nicolas was a parish temple from 1302. Between 1309 and 1349 the new temple was built. At the end of the 15th century it was rebuilt due to the collapse of the nave. The main façade and the two portals date from this period. In 1681 another important reform was carried out that completely changed the apse, the cover and the decoration. The main doorway is ogival and is decorated with vegetal motifs and lateral pinnacles. The tympanum niche frames the image of Saint Nicholas, a 17th century work. The lateral doorway is also ogival but with a classic 18th century portal surmounted by a gutter. It has a single nave with five rectangular side chapels and a barrel vault roof with lunettes. Likewise, the chapels open under semicircular arches with molded pilasters and capitals with vegetal decoration. The bell tower has a hexagonal floor plan. The main altarpiece has a 15th century Gothic painting depicting St. Nicholas and is the work of Miguel de Alcañiz.
The church of Santa María la Mayor is Baroque in style and was built on an old site where the previous 13th century parish church was located. The current temple has a single nave ending in a semicircular apse. It is covered by a half barrel vault with stained glass windows. The bell tower (16th-17th centuries) is separated from the main façade and predates the construction of the present church. A characteristic feature is the neoclassical façade with the sculptural group of the Mare de Déu dels Àngels.
The church of San Pedro, a huge mass, at least for the dimensions of this town, which stands proudly in the middle of the Plaza de España. One looks at its neo-Gothic façade and the large central rose window, shining in the sun, seems to return your gaze. Not surprisingly, despite being unfinished, it is considered the great architectural work of the municipality, based on a project by Gaspar Bennàssar. It is dedicated to San Pedro, patron saint of Esporles, and its construction began in 1904, when its first stone kissed the ground of this square. Two decades later, its facade was already scratching the sky of the Tramontana mountain range, although unfinished, like the bell tower. Nevertheless, there it remains, surprising the unsuspecting passerby.
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