Palma Cathedral

Palm Cathedral (Santa Maria Cathedral) is a Gothic cathedral located on the island of Mallorca. The cathedral is also known as La Seu (Bishopric). It is located in the town of Palma de Mallorca, and because of its huge size it is a kind of landmark in the city for tourists. The facade of the church is decorated with statues and bizarre symbols.

Once King Jaime I of Aragon got into a very strong storm with his army, then he swore to the Virgin Mary to build a huge church if he survived and conquered the island, driving away the Moors. The storm did not destroy the king and his army, and already in 1230 the king ordered the construction of a church on the site of the mosque. But the construction was greatly delayed, so many descendants of the king participated in the construction. By the way, the cathedral is the tomb of the kings of Mallorca - Jaime II and Jaime III. The main stage of construction was completed only in 1587. Work on the main facade of the building began in 1882, and was completed in the 20th century. In 1904, Bishop Campins invited Antoni Gaudi to renovate and carry out decorative work in the cathedral. Locals joke that Gaudi trained with them before starting work on the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

The Palm Cathedral is almost 110 meters long, 33 meters wide and 75.5 meters high. The cathedral has 14 columns 30 meters high. Due to its size, the church is considered the largest monument of Gothic architecture in Southern Europe. In 1931, the Palm Cathedral was recognized as an artistic and historical monument.

The interior of the cathedral is striking in its beauty. Huge stained glass windows illuminate the temple with natural light, statues and bas-reliefs are so painstakingly executed that it seems as if they are alive and frozen for a moment. The light from the stained glass windows is projected onto the wall, mesmerizing visitors. In the museum at the cathedral you can see ancient relics, jewelry, medieval paintings.