Royal Palace of La Almudaina

Palma, Spain

The Royal Palace of La Almudaina, Spanish Palacio Real de La Almudaina, is the Alcázar (fortified palace) of Palma, the capital city of the Island of Majorca, Spain. Built as an Arabian Fort, the crown claimed it as official royal residence in the early 14th century. Inside are many empty rooms, however, when King James II began restoration, his design plan included the encompassing of the small, romanesque Chapel of Saint Anne. It stands opposite the dramatic Palma Cathedral with commanding views over the Bay of Palma.

The palace is owned by the Spanish government and operated by Patrimonio Nacional, an agency of the Minister of the Presidency that manages assets of the State for the Crown. Nowadays, the Royal Family uses it as an official residence for ceremonies and State receptions, having their private summer residence in the Palace of Marivent on the outskirts of Palma.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Carrer del Palau Reial 29, Palma, Spain
See all sites in Palma

Details

Founded: 14th century
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Spain

More Information

www.patrimonionacional.es
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Palma Cathedral (0,1 km)
Bellver Castle (2,4 km)
Basilica de Sant Francesc (0,6 km)


Santuari de Lluc (34,9 km)
Church of St. Jaume (51,4 km)
Roman Remains of Pollentia (51,3 km)
Son Marroig (20,5 km)
Alaro Castle (22,2 km)
Capocorb Vell (24,3 km)
Castell del Rei (50,2 km)

User Reviews

Indira Freeman (3 months ago)
Spectacular! Must visit. Sad that one part of the palace was under the construction, but enjoyed what I was able to see.
Jonathan Penamala (3 months ago)
Great view of history although there were some resrictions on the furniture within the palace, which prevented getting up close to the craftsmanship. The price of entry was affordable ( a proper bargain) and ultimately very much worth it. I would recommend going in small groups that would be able to take their time reading the information dotted around the palace as well bringing a camera for a few good shots.
Valerie Litwinko (3 months ago)
So i came here without knowing what to expect, the majority of the palace is tapestries, and non too fine in particular. I did not think it was worth the 7 euro price of admission. However, the very worst part was the incessant security guard hassling you and following you around, and i understand correcting people, but it was done in such a rude manner. It is a fine example of architecture, so save yourself the hassle and just look from the outside.
Persi Cleric (4 months ago)
If you're interested in history you can probably spend more than half of the day here, if not, the place itself is interesting and pretty, especially during the sunset
Lisa Phuong (4 months ago)
The palace is small but there is a lot of history here. It’s worth taking the audio guide. Located next to the cathedral and you can buy tickets to see both attractions.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Must-see historic sighs in Luxembourg
Photo from Flickr, copyright Alexxx1979

Historic Site of the week

Church of the Savior on Blood

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg. The church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated and was dedicated in his memory. Construction began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Work progressed slowly and was finally completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.

Architecturally, the Cathedral differs from St. Petersburg's other structures. The city's architecture is predominantly Baroque and Neoclassical, but the Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

The Church contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics — according to its restorers, more than any other church in the world. The interior was designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day — including Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov and Mikhail Vrubel — but the church's chief architect, Alfred Alexandrovich Parland, was relatively little-known (born in St. Petersburg in 1842 in a Baltic-German Lutheran family). Perhaps not surprisingly, the Church's construction ran well over budget, having been estimated at 3.6 million roubles but ending up costing over 4.6 million. The walls and ceilings inside the Church are completely covered in intricately detailed mosaics — the main pictures being biblical scenes or figures — but with very fine patterned borders setting off each picture.

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930s. During the Second World War when many people were starving due to the Siege of Leningrad by Nazi German military forces, the church was used as a temporary morgue for those who died in combat and from starvation and illness. The church suffered significant damage. After the war, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of Saviour on Potatoes.

In July 1970, management of the Church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the Cathedral were funneled back into restoring the Church. It was reopened in August 1997, after 27 years of restoration, but has not been reconsecrated and does not function as a full-time place of worship; it is a Museum of Mosaics. Even before the Revolution it never functioned as a public place of worship; having been dedicated exclusively to the memory of the assassinated tsar, the only services were panikhidas (memorial services). The Church is now one of the main tourist attractions in St. Petersburg.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2019 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.