Palma Cathedral (La Seu)

When you approach the bay of Palma by boat, the first thing that you will notice will be the very impressive Catedral De Palma. This cathedral is otherwise known by the name of the “Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma” or more commonly known as “La Seu”. It is gothic in style and was commissioned by James I of Aragon in the year 1229.

Built on the site of an old Arab mosque, legend has it that on his way to the conquest of the islands James encountered a fierce storm. It was during this storm that he made a promise to Santa Maria that if he was spared, he would build a church in her honour. He was spared, and the church was started in the year 1230. It is a work of art and is one, if not the most, impressive building on the island. It took nearly 270 years to complete and was eventually finished in 1601.

It's not just the outside with its large ornately designed, gothic style pillars that are spectacular… if you venture inside you will be in awe of the shear size of the space it occupies. There are 14 octagonal pillars which support the vault and the nave is a staggering 44 meters high (which is one of the highest in Europe). When standing inside you actually get the feeling of being a microscopic creature in a great big ocean. In a way, this is exactly how the designers wanted you to feel. To them, God was this almighty being and therefore lesser mortals should be standing in awe of him.

In 1901 the cathedral needed serious restoration. In fact, so much so that parts of it needed to be completely rebuilt. They needed someone who understood about design and was going to enhance the look of this splendid old building. They called upon the services of one Antonio Gaudi. Gaudi was a deeply religious man and he understood that purist design was the key factor. When Gaudi did his re-design, he built it in such a way that the light that cascaded into the building was truly awe inspiring. You won't see any of his surrealist work here, this is the work of Gaudi the purist.

Contact

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