Divine glory: the cathedral of Mallorca

By Andrew Rogers

DIVINE GLORY:

THE CATHEDRAL OF MALLORCA

If you regularly sail to Palma, you’ll be used to seeing the stunning Cathedral Mallorca on the skyline. Known as La Seu, her extraordinary French-style Gothic exterior dominates the skyline. Begun in the 13th Century, this amazing edifice has been modified and reconstructed repeatedly over the centuries.

The history of the Cathedral of Mallorca is intimately linked to the local monarchy. After the conquest of Madina Mayurqa in 1229, James I, King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona, ordered the former great mosque to be consecrated to the Virgin Mary as a site for Christian worship. He also ordered the building of a new church in the style of that time, using part of the site of the old mosque.

The first historical documents relating to the construction date from 1230 when Bishop Pere de Morella consecrated the main altar stone. Work on the building we see today began during the second half of the 13th century as new stonework was laid in the chevet. Integrated into the Royal Chapel, this preserved the space intended for the tombs of the Mallorcan royal family. It is known as the Chapel of the Holy Trinity.

Centuries of stonecraft

Work on the bell tower and its nine bells was completed in 1498. The structural section corresponding to the Old Work of the Cathedral was also completed by then and work began on the choir enclosure in the centre of the main nave.

In the 1570s, the decision was taken to complete the structure of the Cathedral with the stonework from the New Work, which involved building the last section comprising the last four sets of columns, the main façade and the main portal.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, an air of the Baroque appeared inside the Cathedral in the form of altarpieces, paintings and sculptures marked by post-Tridentine spirituality. Notable are emblematic pieces like the Corpus Christi altarpiece, the cloister and the new chapterhouse. An earthquake in 1851 placed the structure of the main façade at risk and a monumental restoration was undertaken by architect Juan Bautista Peyronnet from Madrid.

Into the 20th and 21st centuries

At the start of the 20th century, architect Antoni Gaudí adapted the inner space of the cathedral to meet the new liturgical and pastoral requirements. This nineyear restoration recovered space for the faithful and made visible the choir’s chancel, the bishop’s throne and the Chapel of the Holy Trinity.

The most recent contribution is the adaptation of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament by the Mallorcan painter Miquel Barceló between 2001 and 2006. The installation is located in the right-hand apse of Saint Peter’s Chapel and represents the miracle of Jesus multiplying the loaves and the fish for his followers.