La Almudaina, Palma de Mallorca

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Almudayna is the name in Arabic and it stuck. They build this fort in 9th century and for 200 years it was the splendor upon entering the city. It was burned by the Christians, but again rebuilt in a style of African Berber design. The fortress is rectangular, with a tower in the middle called Angel Tower. In 1300's the great hall was constructed and later more rooms added under Christian rulers beginning with James I of Aragon. In the 1800's, restoration commenced on a lot of the structure, and again in 1963 for another 10 years to bring to the state it is looking like today.
Inside is divided into two distinct sections; Kings Palace and Queens Palace of which each had their own style to depict the level of class and worthy contribution to the empire. The fortress is the offical residence of today's King & Queen if they desired to stay here.

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Originally a Muslim palace, converted to gothic by king Jaime II, this alcazar still keeps signs of both styles.

The views are beautiful and the adjacent gardens are well conceived and maintained, featuring a statue from Juan Miro.

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La Almudaina is a 13th century palace that was the seat of the independent kingdom of Mallorca during the reigns of Jaime II, Sancho I and Jaime III. The main aspects of the palace include the King's Palace, the Queen's Palace, the Throne Room, the Royal Chapel and the coutryards.
Today the Palace is used as the King's official residence for ceremonies during the summer months, when the Royal family is on vacation in Mallorca.

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The impressive Moorish architecture of the Palacio de la Almudaina or the Almudaina Palace preserves the history of its past. Once a Moorish fortress , it was converted after the conquest by Catalan about the 13th century to a palace for the Mallorcan Kings. Today it is a museum containing art such as Flemish tapestries, an excellent collection of paintings, and oriental carpets. In addition, it is said to function as an official residence when the King of Spain makes summertime visits.

From one of the accompanying pictures you can see the beautifully crenulated square towers, and the Moorish-style arched supports of the logia. At the top of the "hommage" tower is a statue of the Archangel Gabriel. The Palace is partially enclosed by the old city wall and faces directly at Le Seu Cathedral, which seems for either structure to be an odd placement.

Just below the palace and facing the Avenguda d'Antonio de Maura is the "Jardin d'Hort del Rei" or "Gardens of the King" have only recently been open to the public. There you will find reflecting pools, sculpture and tranquility.

Visiting hours from October through March are 10:00 to 1:15pm and 4:00 to 5:15 pm; from April through September, hours are 10:00am to 5:45pm. It is closed on Sundays.

Check for current prices, but Admission for EU citizens is free! (This would be considered discriminatory in the US.)

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This building,which dates back to Roman times,was the residence of the Muslim walis.After the Christian conquest,the Mallorcan king,Jaime II,restored and enlarged it.Of the new construction the salon del tinel is of particular interest-today it is divided into two floors-and the Chapel of Santa Ana is considered to be one of the most beautiful chapels in the city.Also noteworthy is the Torre del Angel(angel's tower) so called because of its weather vane,which is a representation of the archangel Saint Gabriel.King Jaime II ordered its construction in the 14th century.

Tickets : 3.20E
Wednesdays : EU citizens Free

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The Palace is located directly opposite Sa Seu Cathderal.
It has nice gardens and a large lake with black swans on it.
We didn't go inside but it is a nice place to take a walk around on the way to Sa Seu.

Ancient fort, Moorish in origin, the Palace retains the Gothic features added during the XIV century. It was used as the residence of the Moorish governors and, after the Christian Conquest, by the Kings of Catalonia-Aragón.

Palau de l'Almudaina (or Palacio de la Almudaina ) stands opposite the cathedral entrance. The Palace was orginally a citadel built by the Moorish governors. The citadel had a solid outer wall (much of which is still standing today) that sheltered a rectangular building complete with five towers.

King Jaime II modified the original citadel to a large extent to combine the solidity of the original Moslem construction with the rich appointments and comfortable design required by the Majorcan court. Today, the Almudaina Palace houses the "Capitania General", or Harbor Office, of the Balearic Islands. It contains numerous works of art, including Flemish tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries that illustrate episodes from Spanish history; 17th and 18th century Spanish tapestries; and banners decorated with scenes from the battle of Lepanto (1571), which the Spanish and Venetian fleets jointly defeated the Turkish fleet.

The shady gardens with numerous fountains in front of the palace were designed by S´Hort del Rei.

Palau de l'Almudaina (April–Sept Mon–Fri 10am–6.30pm, Sat 10am–2pm; Oct–March Mon–Fri 10am–2pm & 4–6pm; €2.70, but free on Wed to EU citizens).