Palma Cathedral
Palma Cathedral ( Cathedral of Santa Maria ) is a Gothic cathedral located on the island of Mallorca. The cathedral is also known as La Ceu ( Bishopdom ). It is located in the town of Palma de Mallorca, and because of its enormous size it is a kind of landmark in the city for tourists. The facade of the church is decorated with statues, bizarre symbols.
Once King Aragona Jaime I fell into a very strong storm with his army, then he vowed to the Virgin Mary to build a huge church if he survived and conquered the island by driving 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 very long, so many descendants of the king took part in the construction. The cathedral, by the way, 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 ended in the 20th century. In 1904, Bishop Campins invited Antonio Gaudi to restore and conduct decorative work in the cathedral. Local residents joke that Gaudi trained with them before starting work on Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
Palm Cathedral in length reaches almost 110 meters, a width of 33 meters and a height of 75.5 meters. The cathedral has 14 columns 30 meters high. The church is considered by its size the largest monument of Gothic architecture in Southern Europe. In 1931, the Palma 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 made that it seems like they are alive and froze for a moment. Light from stained-glass windows is projected onto the wall, fascinating visitors. In the museum at the cathedral you can see ancient relics, decorations, medieval painting.
