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The Cathedral-Basilica of Santa María in Palma, known as La Seu, unfolds before my eyes like an imposing Levantine Gothic style temple, which I have portrayed from this general perspective for La Vanguardia’s Readers’ Photos.
It was built on the shore of the bay of Palma, making it a viewpoint of the Mediterranean Sea on the Roman and Renaissance walls that protected the city.
This cathedral also presents a constructive challenge, since it houses the largest rose window in the Gothic world, with its 13 meters in diameter. Although it is true that there are cathedrals with 15-meter rose windows, these already belong to the neo-Gothic.
Like all cathedrals, it was under construction for years and years. In 1346, King James III attended its consecration, although it was not actually completed until 1601. Work had begun in 1229, after the conquest of the island by the Crown of Aragon.
It must be taken into account that the great Catalan modernist architect Antoni Gaudí carried out a renovation of the Cathedral of Mallorca between 1904 and 1914. His work was criticized above all for the demolition of various attached elements, such as the Corredor dels Ciris in the Mudejar style.
