“LA SEU” THE SEAT OF THE BISHOP
The magnificent Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca, or “La Seu”, (Catalan the seat of the bishop) as the locals call it, is the largest religious building on the island and also the second largest in Spain after the Seville Cathedral.
The mighty vault towers over the cityscape and can be seen from afar, especially for those who arrive in Palma by sea. After all, La Seu is 109.50 meters long and 33 meters wide and offers space for 18,000 people with an interior area of 6,600 square meters.
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The cathedral was built precisely on the foundations of the central mosque of the then ruling Moors and on the Roman city walls that protected the city. Opposite it are the Royal Palace La Almudaina, the official residence of the King of Spain and the Bishop’s Palace. At its feet lies the Parc de la Mar, which was specially created in 1960 to remind us that the city walls once reached all the way to the sea.
On this side is also the 15 meter high portal El Mirador, facing the sea, one of the most beautiful examples of Spanish pointed arch architecture. Anyone who takes the trouble to climb the 215 steps that lead from the Portal de l’Almoina to the church tower will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the city, the sea and the Tramuntana mountains.
Something special is the fortified bell tower with a total of nine bells from five centuries. Each bell has its own name. N’Eloi, which weighs 4517 kg and is two meters in diameter, is the largest and the only one with a male name. The other eight bells all have female names, Na Bàrbara, N’Antònia, Sa Nova, Na Mitja, Na Tèrcia, Na Matines, Na prima and Na Picarol.
A total of 61 stained glass windows as well as the rose windows at the front and back gave La Seu the nickname “Cathedral of Light”. The most spectacular is the central rose window, the so-called “Eye of the Gothic”, which is the largest in the world with a diameter of almost eleven meters 1,236 pieces of colored glass flood the interior with colored light reflections with the first rays of sunlight.
Only twice a year, on February 2nd and November 11th, you can experience the ‘Festa de la Llum’, a special light spectacle. In the early morning hours, the sun shines through the huge rose window on the east side in such a way that it is projected on the opposite side exactly under the rose window on the inner facade of the main portal. The shape of a “magic eight” is created, the mathematical symbol for infinity, but also for stability or eternity.
The cathedral took a long time to build, at least 372 years, and since this spanned several centuries, various influences from the Gothic to the Renaissance to the Baroque were incorporated. Their story began with the reconquest of Mallorca. From 902 to 1229 the Moors ruled over almost the entire Iberian Peninsula. In order to regain power, Jaume I, King of Aragon, was installed as supreme ruler against the Moors.
On September 5, 1229, his fleet with a total of 150 ships set sail and headed for Mallorca. However, a storm surprised the attackers and threatened to end the venture prematurely. Jaume I made a promise that if they managed to escape the shipwreck and conquer “Madina Mayurqa”, he would build the largest church in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The troops landed in Santa Ponça and defeated the Moors in the Battle of Porto Pi on September 13, 1229. The final capture of the island took place on December 31, 1229. Jaume I immediately ordered the symbolic foundation stone to be laid, but actual construction did not take place until the beginning of the 14th century under the rule of his son Jaume II.
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The cathedral became a symbol of the close relationship between the church and the noble family of Aragon. But after only a short construction period, the first static problems became apparent and the building had to be stabilized. In addition, the privileged location directly on the sea was vulnerable to all weather conditions. The Marés, the famous limestone from which the church was built, was also very vulnerable to the weather.
Large parts had to be surrounded by another wall. These repairs are visible on the side of the main portal on the two rose windows, which were only three-quarters covered from the outside. It was finally completed in 1601, but was repeatedly expanded, redesigned and renovated.
Important personalities also took part in the redesign. Between 1904 and 1915, the Barcelona-born architect and visionary Antoni Gaudí adapted the interior of the cathedral to the new requirements and created more space for the faithful. The stained glass windows, today’s landmarks, were also introduced.
The most recent redesign was carried out by the Mallorcan painter Miquel Barceló in 2007 with a ceramic mural. In its own museum at Plaça de la Seu you can see the extensive history of the cathedral and the island.
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