DK Travel : Mallorca : Architecture

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Nostra Senyora dels Àngels, Pollença

Features include a vibrant rose window with elaborate arabesque stone tracery outside and an intriguing sculpture, located in a side chapel, of St Sebastian, nonchalantly resting on the arrows that pierce his body. Note the floor tiles with rooster heads, the symbol of the town of Pollença.
Nostra Senyora dels Àngels, Sineu

Mallorca’s grandest parish church, at the highest point of a town that was declared the official centre of the island by King Sanç, can be visited only on market day, Wednesday. It has a small archaeological museum.
Oratori de Montesió, Porreres

Part of a former monastery, this 14th-century hilltop church overlooks the small agricultural village of Porreres. It has a five-sided cloister, an unusual arcaded façade with elegant Gothic lines, and great views out to sea. The setting is a wonderful venue for special concerts sponsored by the town, featuring internationally known talents.
Portals Vells Cave Church

One of the caves along the rocky headland of Portals Vells has been turned into a church, Cova de la Mare de Déu – according to legend, by shipwrecked Genoese sailors who were grateful for their survival. The holy water stoup and altar have been carved out of solid rock, although the effigy of the Virgin that was once placed here is now in a seafront church at Portals Nous.
Sa Seu, Palma

Mallorca’s grandest church is also one of the greatest Gothic churches anywhere. Flamboyant spires with stone flames give it a prickly look. The vast space and riches inside are also unforgettable (see Sa Seu: Palma Cathedral).
Sant Bernat, Petra

Petra was the birthplace of Fray Junípero Serra, who established missions all over California in the 1700s and early 1800s. The town’s stocky church commemorates the man.
Santuari de la Victòria

The fortress church was built on a rocky headland near Alcúdia in the 1600s to house an early statue of the Virgin. Despite these measures, the figure was stolen twice by pirates. The views are sweeping, and it’s also a starting point for great hikes over the promontory (see Santuari (Ermita) de la Victòria).
Santuari de Nostra Senyora de Cura

Ramon Llull founded this hermit-age at the top of the Puig de Randa table mountain in the 13th century, and it was here that he trained missionaries bound for Africa and Asia. Nothing remains of the original building, but Llull’s legacy has ensured that the site is an important place for Catholics, who can stay overnight in simple rooms. The monastery, much of which is fairly modern, houses a library and study centre. There are other hermitages lower down the hill.
Santuari de Nostra Senyora de Gràcia

The lowest hermitage site on Puig de Randa is set on a ledge in a cliff above a sheer 200-m (656-ft) drop and has beguiling views out over the plain. It was founded in 1497 and appears, along with nesting birds, to be sheltered by the huge rock that overhangs it.
Santuari de Sant Salvador

Pilgrims and other visitors can stay overnight at this former monastery, which has a truly spectacular setting, right at the top of the Serres de Llevant. You can’t miss it: the site’s huge stone cross and statue of Christ can be seen for miles around (see also Santuari de Sant Salvador, Felanitx).