Summer — like the much-maligned international tourists about whom so much media attention here, and in other popular holiday destination cities of Spain, has been paid — has descended on the island of Mallorca. On one hand the arrival seems to have happened instantly; on the other hand, the build-up of heat and sun, and of larger and more dense crowds seems to have grown steadily since mid-spring. School is finally out now for the kids, and summertime activities have begun, including Friday excursions with a group that we are members of.
This was our first excursion with the group, and it was a lovely entry point to this weekly activity. We went to Bellver Castle, a 700 year old stronghold that also houses the history museum for the city of Palma. From our meeting point, we hiked about 20 minutes up to the castle, chatting and taking in the gorgeous scenery of the nature reserve that surrounds the castle.
Bellver Castle was built in the early 1300s by King Jaume II of Mallorca, the son of Jaume I who led the Reconquista of Mallorca and took control of the island and most of it’s Balearic neighbors from the Islamic Caliphate which had governed the region for the preceding century. Architecturally it is unique as it is one of only a small number of circular castles in Europe. For about 500 years the castle was the home to Mallorcan and Spanish kings when on the island.
The site of the castle provides a stunning panorama of Palma on one side, and what feels like an unending view of the Mediterranean on the other. This location clearly provided a secure position to defend the city against invaders.
The castle itself is very, well, castle-y. It is built from stone quarried from near the site. The outer walls are made of massive blocks, and the inside walls are thick, but made of smaller sized blocks. It has tall, narrow slit windows for archers to shoot at invaders. It has a moat that wasn’t filled but was indeed formidable. And it had towers to house people keeping lookout over the sea and land.
What I found most notable was the architectural details and interior decorations, or lack thereof. In stark contrast to this castle, I have visited the Alhambra, in Granada, and the Alcazaba in Malaga; both palace compounds built under Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Every type of surface in those two sites had incredible decorative elements; from gorgeous and intricate geometric tile-work that is so closely associated with Islamic architecture, through highly detailed carved scrolling Arabic script and decorative designs, to delicate and ornate columns and other architectural elements. Bellver is rather utilitarian in comparison.
The view from the top of the castle allows a 360° view of the sea and of Palma. This location high above the city provided a powerful edge for defending the city against invaders.
The Interior spaces of the castle house the history museum for the city of Palma. In a series of rooms, the museum shows the progressive growth of the city from ancient times, through the period in the 19th and 20th century when the castle was used as a prison for political prisoners. Each room was a separate timeframe, and had maps of the city as well as a variety of artifacts from that period.
Within the castle interior there were some fascinating vestiges of the Islamic rule that preceded the period when the structure was built; some instances of geometric Islamic-style tile-work, various arches harken to a pre-Reconquista history in Mallorca.
Lining the main inner rotunda of the castle were a number of marble Roman statues of various emperors (Nero and one of the Caesars above) as well as Roman god/ess/s, for example Venus shown above. There was even a bust of Medusa.
In total we spent about 2 hours at the site, not including the hike up and down. In that time we were able to leisurely take in the history exhibits and slowly wander, look at the architecture, the views, and take lots of photos. The fee to visit was under 10 Euros, and I would suggest it as a great way to fill a morning or afternoon in Palma.
Surrounding the castle is a verdant and beautiful nature reserve with many trails, and several playgrounds for children.