Architecture

Mallorca's architecture tells the island's history in stone — from Arabic arches to Gothic cathedrals to modernist Art Nouveau facades and the simple beauties of rural fincas.

La Seu — the Cathedral

The Cathedral of Palma (La Seu) is the island's landmark and one of the most significant Gothic buildings in Europe. Begun in 1300, completed only in 1601, it towers spectacularly over the sea. Its main nave is 44 meters high (higher than Notre-Dame in Paris), and the rose window — at 13.8 meters in diameter, one of the largest in the world — bathes the interior in magical light in the early morning. Antoni Gaudi redesigned the altar area at the beginning of the 20th century; contemporary artist Miquel Barcelo created an impressive ceramic chapel in 2007.

Modernisme in Palma

Palma experienced a Modernisme boom (the Catalan variant of Art Nouveau) around 1900. Magnificent buildings like Can Forteza Rey at Placa del Mercat (with its colorfully tiled facade), the Gran Hotel (1903, now CaixaForum), the Almacenes El Aguila, and Can Casasayas bear witness to this era. A city tour through Modernisme Palma is an architectural feast.

Fincas and Possessions

The traditional Finca — the Mallorcan country house — is an archetype of Mediterranean architecture: thick natural stone walls, wooden beam ceilings, courtyard, cistern, exterior walls in warm earth tones. Possessions are the larger estates of the nobility, often with a chapel, oil press, and farm buildings — many have been converted into exclusive country hotels in recent decades.

Dry Stone Walls (Marges)

The Marges — stone walls stacked without mortar — are ubiquitous in the Tramuntana and have been protected as part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 2011. They form the terraced landscapes, support olive groves and vegetable gardens, and are a masterpiece of rural engineering dating back to the Moorish period. It is estimated that Mallorca has over 15,000 kilometers of dry stone walls — more than half the length of the Great Wall of China.