Esglesia de Santa Catalina de Siena (Church of Santa Catalina de Siena), Palma de Mallorca

Esglesia de Santa Catalina de Siena (Church of Santa Catalina de Siena), Palma de Mallorca

The Church of Santa Catalina de Siena at Carrer de Sant Miquel is a medieval temple, formerly Catholic, and is one of the oldest in Palma. It was founded by Joan Baptista Despuig, member of the Order of Santiago, who is buried inside the church, by the altar. Originally, the church was part of the Santa Catalina de Siena convent, and was built on the site of an old Muslim mosque. The latter (with minor modifications) was initially used, back in the 13th century, as a Christian temple until the construction of a new Gothic-style church began a century later.

The temple was dedicated to Santa Catalina, a nun who lived in the 14th century and was actively involved in the affairs of the Catholic Church. In fact, she was the one who convinced Pope Gregory XI to transfer the Holy See back to Rome.

In 1680, Francisco Herrera finalized the building in an Italian style. The renovations included expanded space and reorientation of the main portal towards Sant Miquel street. The typically Gothic single nave with side chapels, apse with a trapezoidal plan, and a half-barrel roof were complemented with the purely Baroque interior. The reconstruction was carried out in connection with the establishment of the Dominican Monastery of Santa Catalina in Ciutat de Mallorca in 1661.

Although in 1964 the church was declared a Historic Monument, two years later the demolition of the residential part of the monastery came underway. In 2002, the church was handed over to the Russian Orthodox parish of Natividad Cristo (the Nativity of Christ) affiliated to the Moscow Patriarchate.

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Esglesia de Santa Catalina de Siena (Church of Santa Catalina de Siena) on Map

Sight Name: Esglesia de Santa Catalina de Siena (Church of Santa Catalina de Siena)
Sight Location: Palma de Mallorca, Spain (See walking tours in Palma de Mallorca)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Create Your Own Walk in Palma de Mallorca

Create Your Own Walk in Palma de Mallorca

Creating your own self-guided walk in Palma de Mallorca is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Palma de Mallorca Introduction Walking Tour

Palma de Mallorca Introduction Walking Tour

Before it became a Roman camp, the area called Palma was a Talaiotic settlement, a place of mysterious Bronze age megaliths. Even the Romans were mystified. In time the camps and the stones disappeared and the city of Palma formed.

The Romans were succeeded by Byzantines, pirates and Islamic rulers. The Muslim period extended from 902 to 1229. In December of 1229, after a siege of three months,...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Historical Buildings Walking Tour

Historical Buildings Walking Tour

Fervent devotees of the past will undoubtedly find Palma de Mallorca's old town quite alluring for a chance to get closer to the island's culture and discover firsthand the unspoiled Mallorca as it once was. Indeed, the historic center of the city is ideal for an acquaintance with the local heritage richly presented in the form of multiple historic buildings.

Some of them, like the...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles