Overview
When you’re visiting the city of Palma, Mallorca, which is located off the east coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, you might be tempted to visit one of the several art museums found within the city. But if you're looking to get a true taste of the city through its artwork, you will want to look at a less obvious landmark of the city.
El Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca, also known as La Seu or the Cathedral of Light, is one of the largest Gothic churches in Spain and is praised for its magnificent artwork within. Sculptures, paintings, and relics line the walls of this beautiful church, and they are illuminated by the light that shines through the stained glass windows that embody the Cathedral. Some of the artwork and pieces in the museum have influences from Antoni Gaudi and other famous artists. “We have a lot of things from Gaudi and the most important thing is the baldaquino” employee Gabriel Salom says. “It’s like a representation of the crown of Jesus.” Tourists from all over the world come to Mallorca to visit the Cathedral, not just for its religious aspect but also for its art.
The construction of the Cathedral began in 1229. Jaume I of Aragon, conqueror and King of Mallorca from 1231 to 1276, ordered for the Cathedral to be built after arriving on the island. The church was built over the site of the mosque of Madina Mayurqa to signify the successful mission of exterminating the Moors and bringing a Christian influence to the island. The building took centuries to complete, and it wasn’t finished until 1601, long after Jaume I had passed away.
Each piece of artwork in the Cathedral of Mallorca has a history behind it and tells a religious story that has ties to Christianity, Spain, and Mallorca. Tourists without Christian or religious affiliation still travel to see the beauty of its artwork up close. Tourist Abby Wilson is traveling across Europe after recently finishing her master's degree. Although she is not Christian, she visited the Cathedral of Mallorca anyways. She said “I love cathedrals around the world. I think they have a lot of story to them, a lot of history. So we try to stop by as many as we can in each city.”
Let’s dive into some examples of the art pieces that are present in the Cathedral.
Saint Sebastian
The tale of Saint Sebastian is quite a miraculous story. Sebastian served Roman Emperor Diocletian, who was known to persecute Christians during an ongoing political battle in the third century. Sebastian, however, was a Christian himself and practiced the religion in secret. When word got out about Sebastian’s affiliation, he was sentenced to be tied to a tree and shot to death by arrows. He somehow survived the death sentence, and other Christians helped nurse him back to health. Emperors then sentenced Sebastian to be beaten to death, and they threw his body in a sewer. Some say that Sebastian came to his friend in an apparition and lead her to his body. When the body was found, it was buried properly in the catacombs.
In the 16th century, a boat from the Order of St. John of Rhodes arrived in Palma, Mallorca. The boat carried an arm bone from Saint Sebastian, and within a few days of the boat arriving, a plague that was rummaging the town suddenly disappeared, and the people of the town were cured. Because of this, Saint Sebastian was named Patron of Palma in 1634 and the town holds a tribute to him each year on January 20th.
In the Cathedral, there are two pieces dedicated to Saint Sebastian. The first piece is called the Chapel of Saint Sebastian, and it was designed by Francisco de Herrera in the 18th century. The altarpiece depicts Saint Sebastian tied to the tree with the arrows through his side. Around the main statue, there are gold carvings and other statues of angels surrounding him. The art piece towers over onlookers and each part is extremely detail-oriented down to the pillars. There are many altarpieces situated around the Cathedral, but this is one of the most important pieces in the entire church.
The second piece is the legitimate relic of Saint Sebastian, and it contains the actual arm bone that traveled from Rhodes to Mallorca. The bone is encapsulated by a plated case that has embroidered designs all over it. At the top of the piece, there is a hand that is supposed to represent Saint Sebastian’s that is at the end of the bone. The piece has a small window so that you can see the actual bone.
The Chapel of the Holy Sacrament
Although the Cathedral is centuries old, there has been a recent installation of artwork on its walls. From 2001 to 2006, Miquel Barcelo designed a piece that pays tribute to the new testament. The piece is called the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, and it was made with ceramic. The work represents the stories of Jesus multiplying bread and fish and turning water into wine.
A central part of the piece is the ocean. One wall of the chapel is completely covered by a wave from the sea that has fish swimming down the wall. The fish build from the top of the wave and slowly become more detailed as they get closer to the ground. Barcelo is known for ocean themes in his work, and the chapel was no exception.
Stained Glass
One of the most stunning aspects of the entire Cathedral is the stained glass windows that surround the church. The nickname “Cathedral of Light” comes from the fact that there are 87 windows of stained glass that shine through for visitors to see. While some windows depict religious stories and parables, others represent the colorful landscapes of Mallorca.
In the city, twice a year residents celebrate the Festival of Lights. This is when the sunrise aligns with the Cathedral and hits one of the large stained glass windows so that its colors are projected onto the wall of the church. The dates of the Festival of Lights are Feb. 2 and Nov. 11.
Visiting the Cathedral
Although only a few pieces were discussed in this blog, the Cathedral is filled with beautiful pieces of art. “It seems to have a lot more artwork, actually, than other cathedrals,” Wilson said. “I think a lot more lower artwork which I like, like more eye level.” If you’re interested in visiting the museum during your travels, tickets cost nine euros. The Cathedral is located on the coast of Palma, next to Parc de la Mar. For more information, you can visit the Cathedral of Mallorca website.
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