Museums in Mallorca

A museum visit is the perfect thing to do on the rare occasion that the weather in Mallorca. Both the capital, Palma and the inland towns and villages have an array of art exhibitions, monastic museums and archaeological collections that are well worth a visit.

Monastery museums in Mallorca

Lluc monastery in the heart of the Tramuntana mountains is a place of pilgrimage and is one of the most visited attractions in Mallorca. The main wing of the complex is the monastery museum. The main exhibition rooms contain church vestments, medieval portraits of saints, ceramics from the Talaiotic period as well as a collection of paintings by the Catalan painter Josep Coll Bardolet.

The museum in the Franciscan Monastery Nostra Senyora de Cura on the Puig de Randa is dedicated to the life and work of the Mallorcan monk, Ramon Llull, who lived in the monastery for several years from 1263 AD. In the monastery of Sant Bartomeu in Inca, the baroque painting from the 16th century is worth seeing. The Diocesan Museum in the Episcopal Palace in Palma de Mallorca is not a monastic museum in the classical sense but in addition to religious relics, altar paintings a 12th-century wooden statue of Christ can be seen in the vaults.

Art museums on the island

The most important private exhibition of contemporary art is located in the CCA Centro Cultural Andratx on the west coast of Mallorca. Numerous rooms show paintings, drawings, graphics, sculptures and photographs by contemporary artists. The CCA in Andratx is one of the largest centres of Contemporary Art in Europe and it is also possible to buy local plants there. Housed in a segment of the city wall in Palma de Mallorca is the ES Baluard museum. There are exhibition rooms on three floors where you can admire the works of contemporary artists including paintings, sculptures and graphics. A highlight is the impressive light installation entitled "Light caught in the belly of the whale".

Archaeological and natural science museums

The archaeological museum, Son Fornés, in Montuïri takes you back to a time when Talayot culture prevailed in Mallorca. It has excavated finds thought to be more than 4,000 years old. The Natural Science Museum in Costitx presents a cross-section of the flora and fauna of Spain with a range of fossils, minerals, prepared insects and stuffed mammals and birds. For a glimpse of life in Mallorca from centuries past you can go to the old estate, La Granja, which has been converted into an open-air museum. A trip to La Granja is exciting for children and adults alike. The mansion, which dates back to the Moorish period, demonstrates old methods of olive oil and perfume production as well as the making of tapestries.

Private museums and special exhibitions

Works by the Croatian painter, Kristian Krekovic, are on display at the museum of the same name in Palma de Mallorca. The artist spent his twilight years on the island before he died in 1985. The former home of Archduke Ludwig Salvator was later converted into a museum. The marble pavilion on the exterior of the Son Marroig mansion is one of the most popular photo opportunities in Mallorca. The Carthusian monastery in Valldemossa is home to the Chopin Museum. The composer spent the winter of 1838/39 together with his wife, George Sand in the monastery and their rooms exhibit a piano, a strand of hair and the death mask of Frederic Chopin. In addition, you can visit the historical pharmacy and the monastery library.