Church of Santa Creu

Religious | Palma de Mallorca

This is the second most important parish church in the city in ecclesiastical terms, and the largest after Santa Eulàlia. It was located close to the Santa Catalina gateway, the former Bab al-yadid of the Islamic city. It was a hive of human activity, one of the most direct accesses to the sea, and this determined the presence of fishermen and sailors amongst its parishioners. In front of the church there was a fountain and a square with archways where the curia of the Bishop of Barcelona was established. The parish church is a late Gothic building. It stands out from other single-nave Gothic churches – the model followed by the Mallorcan churches – for its width. The parishioners under the protection of Santa Cruz included the notable presence of the powerful wool carders’ guild, which was founded in the 14th century. Of the artistic heritage in this church we should mention the table of Nostra Dona de la Pau, one of the oldest works the church contains; the table of Sant Cristòfol – the work of Francesc Comes, well-defined in stylistic terms – and the image of Nostra Dona del Bon Camí, now inserted into a Neo-Gothic table, attributed to Rafel Mòger. Inside the church there was a collection of old tombstones, and after being recovered they were displayed on the outer walls of the building, on the side where the steps leading down to the Sant Llorenç crypt are. One famous member of this parish was Captain Barceló, or ‘Capità Toni’ (1716 - 1797), a sailor who was very popular in Mallorca because he fought against pirates and corsairs.