Palma Cathedral

The Cathedral of Mallorca rewards looking at several centuries at once. Its Gothic architecture gives the visit its scale, but later artists have left work that makes this a continuing story rather than a monument fixed in a single period. A visit can be as much about the dialogue between old and new as about the original building.

Construction began in the thirteenth century and continued into the 1630s. Antoni Gaudí's early twentieth-century intervention changed the interior to serve the cathedral's liturgical life. Miquel Barceló subsequently brought a striking contemporary contribution to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. These are distinct moments in the building's history, each worth seeking out rather than treating the interior as one uniform work.

Planning a cathedral visit

The cathedral remains a place of worship as well as a visitor attraction. Dress respectfully and check the cathedral's own visitor information when arranging admission. Standard sightseeing admission and terrace visits are different products; do not assume that a general ticket includes the terraces. Large luggage is not accepted and the cathedral states that it has no lockers.

Give the interior time. Looking for the changes made by different generations turns a familiar landmark into a more thoughtful encounter with architecture and art.