Palma

The Romans established Palma following their conquest around 123 BC. From 903, the island belonged to the Emirate of Córdoba and the city was called Madina Mayurqa, with walls, water supplies, baths and streets whose routes you can still follow. Jaume I of Aragón conquered the city in 1229; the cathedral later replaced its main mosque.

Those successive periods run through Palma: Roman origins, an Islamic street plan, major Gothic buildings, Renaissance courtyards, Modernisme architecture around 1900 and 20th-century expansion. The cathedral is only one part of that story.

La Seu, the cathedral, developed after the conquest of 1229 and was largely completed in 1601. Its nave is among the tallest in European Gothic architecture, and its great rose window, almost 14 metres across, is among the largest. Between 1901 and 1914, Antoni Gaudí remodelled the interior, moving the choir, opening the view towards the altar and installing the canopy that still looks unfinished. He left the work following a disagreement. From 2001, Miquel Barceló added the ceramic wall in the Sant Pere chapel, a work that continues to divide opinion locally.

Beside it stands Palau de l’Almudaina, originally an Islamic fortress and later remodelled as a royal residence. It remains an official royal residence today, on a site with more than a thousand years of history.

Above the city, Castell de Bellver was built under Jaume II between 1300 and 1311. One of Europe’s few circular castles, it served for centuries as a prison. Its ramparts provide an excellent view of the city, bay and Tramuntana foothills.

La Llotja, Guillem Sagrera’s 15th-century Gothic merchants’ exchange, is one of the city’s finest secular buildings: a single hall whose twisting columns spread into the vaulting like palms.

The architectural style everyone knows from Barcelona is here in Palma too, usually without the queues. Between 1900 and 1915 came Gran Hotel by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, now an exhibition venue, Can Casasayas on Plaça del Mercat and the richly decorated Can Forteza Rey on Carrer Colom. Gaudí’s cathedral alterations are another part of this period. You can spend two hours exploring the city’s architecture on foot without paying admission.

Mercat de l’Olivar is the large central market hall, selling fish, meat, fruit and vegetables alongside stalls where you can eat. Mercat de Santa Catalina is smaller, older — dating from 1920 — and more geared towards visitors, but still used by residents. Mercat de Pere Garau, to the east, is the least showy and largest on Saturdays. All three are liveliest in the morning and quietest on Mondays.

Palma has a football club with a long history: RCD Mallorca, founded in 1916 and carrying “Real” in its name since 1949.

The club plays at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, west of the city, around twenty minutes from the centre. City buses run there from the old town, and matchdays noticeably change the flow of passengers.

The club’s biggest years

Its most successful period came around the turn of the millennium:

• In 1998, Mallorca won the Supercopa de España, the Spanish Super Cup.
• In 1998/99, the team reached the European Cup Winners’ Cup final, losing 2–1 to Lazio in the competition’s last edition. They also finished third in the league, their best placing, repeated in 2000/01.
• On 28 June 2003, Mallorca beat Recreativo Huelva 3–0 in Elche to win the Copa del Rey.

The club today

With an evening to spare, a match offers a very local experience among supporters who have followed the club through promotions and setbacks. Check the current fixture list, division and ticket availability before planning a visit.

Palma has very different districts. An evening in Santa Catalina feels quite unlike an afternoon in Casc Antic, while Es Molinar is only twenty minutes from the old town but has a different pace altogether. Use the neighbourhood guides below to explore further.