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La Seu La Seu Cathedral (translated as “The Bishopric”) is considered one of the most recognizable Gothic cathedrals in the world and is the third tallest cathedral in Europe.
History of the cathedral
Its history dates back to 1229, after Jaime I the Conqueror set out to conquer Mallorca, but was caught in a violent storm. He began to pray and promised that if he overcame his hardships and if he remained alive and well, he would build a church in honor of the Mother of God. Jaime I conquered Mallorca from the Arabs and a cathedral in honor of the Virgin Mary was built on the site of their mosque. Its construction continued until 1601, and later, due to the earthquake of 1851 in the cathedral was restored until the middle of the twentieth century.
The scale of the cathedral is astonishing in its grandiosity. It occupies an area of about 7000 square meters. It is 121 meters long and 55 meters wide. It can accommodate 18,000 people at a time. The abundance of various windows, of which there are 61, makes La Seu one of the most luminous cathedrals in the Mediterranean. The architecture of the cathedral is magnificent and graceful. It is also famous for its rosette on the facade. Such a huge Gothic window is found nowhere else in the world. It has an area of 100 square meters, a diameter of more than 12 meters, consists of 24 colored triangles and is an openwork weave inlaid with 1115 colored glasses. The so-called “eye of Gothic“, which was built in 1375. Another distinctive feature of this window is the perfect Star of David, which sits directly above the main altar.
A magnificent spectacle takes place in the cathedral twice a year – on November 11 and February 2. A ray of the rising sun passes through a rosette in the altar section and creates for a short time a projection of unusual beauty under the window of the main entrance in the form of a multicolored figure eight – a symbol of eternity.
Palma Cathedral has a total of 9 bells in the tower, each with its own name. Among them, the bell stands out NEloi for its size: its diameter is 2 meters and its weight is 4,517 kilograms.
The cathedral is striking in its architecture both inside and out. The organ music combined with the grandeur and beauty of La Seu is mesmerizing. It is a wonderful place to trace the creations of architects for almost 8 centuries.
By the way, in the Cathedral of La Seu, in the Trinity Chapel, are the remains of Kings Jaime II and Jaime III.
When visiting the cathedral, at the entrance you can take an audio-video guide in different languages, including Russian. This is a large smartphone on which you can watch and listen to the history of every corner of the cathedral. Everything is shown and told in detail. It’s like a guide to La Seu.
La Seu is huge and massive. It is mesmerizing with its architecture, both inside and out. We strongly recommend that you go inside! In high season, you can go up to the terraces that offer views of the city and the sea.
It can be reached from anywhere on the island by bus, which goes to Palma or book a transfer and arrive at the best attractions in Mallorca at the time you want!