Palace of the Kings of Majorca

Perpignan, France

The Palace of the Kings of Majorca is a palace and a fortress with gardens overlooking the city of Perpignan. In 1276, King James II of Majorca made Perpignan the capital of the Kingdom of Majorca. He started to build a palace with gardens on the hill on the south of the town. It was completed in 1309.

In 1415, the Holy Roman Emperor, Sigismund of Luxemburg, organised a European summit in Perpignan, to convince the Avignon Antipope Benedict XIII to resign his office and take to an end the Western Schism through the Council of Constance. On 20 September 1415, the Emperor met with Pope Benedict XIII at the palace with the King Ferdinand I of Aragon and the delegations of the Counts of Foix, Provence, Savoy, Lorraine, the embassy of the Roman church for the Council of Constance, and embassies from the Kings of France, England, Hungary, Castille and Navarre. The pope refused to resign and to recognise the Pope that the Council had chosen, clashing with the emperor who left Perpignan on 5 November.

Part of the northern wing of the palace was destroyed in a siege in 1502. Following the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, France gained Roussillon, and proceed to develop the defensive features of the palace.

Architecture

The palace was built in the Gothic style. It is organised around three courtyards 60 m square. The first foremen on the site were Ramon Pau and especially Pons Descoyl, very active in Perpignan and the Baleares. It has two chapels, one above the other: the lower is the Queen's Chapel, while the upper is Holy Cross with a pink marble door.

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Details

Founded: 1276-1309
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Late Capetians (France)

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Simon Pritchard (2 months ago)
Beautiful well preserved structure and great views of Perpignan and the surrounding countryside. Unfortunately the reception would not allow us to store our bags so only one of us could visit while the other stayed with our baggage. Plenty of scope for additional exhibits but worth the 7€ entry and an hour or so of your time.
Lyndsey Maiden (5 months ago)
Stunning 13th century castle. Quite breathtaking views and well worth doing. It’s free on Sundays and the light exposition was a real bonus to see. There’s ramps into the main area but I would say it’s tricky to access by wheelchair. Well worth a visit and you can spend an hour or so browsing the architecture
Stevenson Que (7 months ago)
Very much worth a visit but I just hope they can display more artifacts to make it more alive. The light exhibit was an unexpected highlight!
denise Lockwood (7 months ago)
After going up the steps to the top (ramp available for wheelchairs), you are met with a very impressive view of the front of the building. There are some lovely old pieces of furniture dotted around and equally old paintings on some of the walls
Gereon Fju Mewes (7 months ago)
A nice castle that should definitely be part of your visit to Perpignan. Don't miss out on the light show in the bottom left of the castle (if it's still there). Also, do go to the top tower, it's a little bit hidden, but it's the most beautiful part. Also, it's free for under 26 year olds.
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