Cathedral de Mallorca: Le Seu

The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma is more commonly referred to as La Seu. Its construction began in the 13th century. It is a Levantine Gothic-style cathedral (characterised by using a German-style hall layout) and has one of the largest rose windows in the world, known as “the Gothic eye”. Its nave is also one of the highest in any European Gothic cathedral.

During the 17th and 18th centuries the Baroque started to fill the inside of the Cathedral in the form of altarpieces, paintings and sculptures shaped by the spirituality of the period following the Council of Trent, including such emblematic pieces as the Corpus Christi altarpiece by Jaume Blanquer, the cloister and the new chapter house.

After the earthquake of 1851, the main façade was left in a precarious condition and so Bishop Miquel Salvà Munar entrusted its restoration to the architect Juan Bautista Peyronet.

At the start of the 20th century, the architect Antoni Gaudí adapted the Cathedral to meet new liturgical and pastoral requirements. His work, requested by Bishop Pere Joan Campins, continued from 1904 to 1914. The principal changes that Gaudí made to the cathedral were:

• The removal of the gothic choir stalls from the centre of the nave, and its relocation in the presbytery, around the high altar. In addition, Josep Maria Jujol added lively colors to the stalls that did not go over too well with the priests.
• The removal and recycling of the mudejar wooden candle gallery from the walls of the Capilla Real.
• Decoration of the presbytery with ceramic tiling, representing the crests of the bishops of Mallorca, surrounded by olive-tree branches, with inscriptions in Latin on the wall that surround the episcopal throne.
• Removal the baroque retablo (high altar) from the presbytery, that was moved the to the Church of Santa Catalina.
• Removal of the gothic retablo and reinstalled it at the Puerta del Mirador.
• Placing the high altar table in front of the uncovered episcopal throne, formerly hidden by the gothic and baroque retablos.
• Placing of a forged iron railing for the presbytery.
• Placing forged iron lamps and candelabras of various designs.
• Placing two canopies above the high altar.
• Building two galleries for cantors on each side of the presbytery, made up of plateresque elements.
• Relocation of the two pulpits on the two nearest columns from the high altar, one of which was never completed, and the canopy of the big one was later removed in January 1970.
• In addition, various chandeliers were installed in the entrance to the Capilla Real and in the aisles.

Two more important contributions that Gaudí made to the beautiful cathedral are the furniture and the stained-glass windows. Among the furniture, the highlights include the bench for the officiants at the altar, a stool, a lectern and the beautiful folding stairway that allows access to the exposition of the Holy Sacrament. In this cathedral, Gaudí used a new method for giving colour to the stained-glass windows, consisting of superimposing three glass sections in the primary colors (yellow, blue and red). His intention was to test the technique before implementing in the Sagrada Familia. He also restored the rose windows and stained-glass windows that had been walled over.

The inside of the Cathedral provides a great sensation of space and structural lightness, accentuated by the characteristics of the octagonal columns that divide the nave from the aisles, made out of sandstone from the quarries of Santanyí and Galdent (Llucmajor): just 14 columns divide the nave from the aisles, seven on each side. These divide the different sections. They are widely spaced (7.74 m.), are extremely slender and, above all, are very high (21.47 m). This sensation of lightness increases with the effects of the light that enters the Cathedral through the 7 rose windows and 83 windows – some installed during the last twenty years – and characterises the inside of the Cathedral. All of this has led to the Cathedral being known as “the Cathedral of light”.

The Chapel of the Holy Eucharist is the work of the Majorcan artist Miquel Barceló from between 2001 and 2006, following which the chapel was rededicated to the Holy Eucharist. The installation represents the miracle of Jesus multiplying the loaves and the fish for his followers. Cracked ceramic covers the chapel’s walls creating a cavelike feel while sculpted fish, bread, fruit, and human skulls feature prominently in the panoramic relief. The chapel’s stone furniture and darkened stained glass windows complete the scene’s dramatic effect.

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