Mallorca

Mallorca - Day 6

Felanitx, Monastery Santuari de San Salvador and Portocolom

Today we aimed to visit the former monastery a few kilometers from Felanitx.

On the way there, we made a short stop in Felanitx.

The town is considered the center of Mallorcan viticulture, a significant monastery town, and a bustling market metropolis.

Here, as in many of the Mallorcan towns, there is a richly decorated church inside.

The Church of Sant Miquel was built between 1551 and 1591 in the historical center of Felanitx. The 44-meter long and 13-meter wide single-nave church with side chapels is a typical model of Catalan Gothic architecture. Worth seeing is the Gothic altarpiece featuring the 'Virgin of the Immaculate Conception.'

After visiting the church and strolling a bit through Felanitx, we made a brief stop at a few of the numerous former windmills of Felanitx. The town is often referred to as the 'City of Windmills.'

Next, we headed to the Monastery Santuari de San Salvador.

The winding road (I must explicitly mention that Uli navigated this expertly, just as he has with all the previous winding roads he has driven) to the Monastery Santuari de Sant Salvador near Felanitx is a spectacular and winding route that leads to about 500 meters in elevation. Upon reaching the top, we were greeted with an impressive panoramic view and sights over the eastern coast of Mallorca.

The monastery, founded in 1342, is located on the Puig de Sant Salvador mountain at a height of 509 meters near the town of Felanitx.

The plague then wiped out about one-fifth of the population of Mallorca and about half of the inhabitants of Felanitx. In gratitude for the survival of the remaining inhabitants, in honor of Dios Nuestro Señor, a simple chapel along with a cistern was constructed.

A brotherhood was established in 1601, and soon the chapel developed into a pilgrimage site.

The current church was built from 1707 to 1734.

The entire complex from the 18th century resembles a fortress in its external architectural style. In times of danger, it also served as a place of refuge.

In 1824, three hermits lived in the monastery inn. In 1851, the hermits abandoned permanent residency because the living conditions were too harsh for them. Only temporarily or for religious occasions did clergy from the region come to the church.

On the southern part of the summit plateau stands a monument of Christ Pantokrator (Cristo Rei, Cristo Rey), recognizable by the Christ the King statue, the monogram “IHS,” and the inscription “Iesus Christus Rex.” The foundation stone was laid in 1928.

The monument has a height of 37 meters, including a 7-meter tall statue made of darkened bronze.

On the Puig des Milá, which lies about 250 meters before the summit plateau north of Puig de Sant Salvador and is slightly lower, stands the Creu del Picot.

Before heading back, we drove to Portocolom.

In Portocolom is the largest natural harbor of Mallorca and thus one of the most significant fishing ports on the island. We took a break at a local restaurant by the harbor and enjoyed some delicious snacks.

In the late afternoon, we set off and drove back to the hotel leisurely away from the main routes.