Museums of Mallorca

These museums share a common feature. They are all located in buildings of great historic and heritage value. For instance, the Museum of Mallorca is housed in a splendid 17th century palace. The courtyard of the palace contains the remains of the first Muslim house to be found on the island.

A visit to the museum will provide a comprehensive introduction to the history of Mallorca, from the prehistoric Talaiotic culture (2000 BCE - 123 BCE) to the Modernist period. The Municipal History Museum is located in Bellver Castle and traces the evolution of the city of Palma from the Bronze Age to the present day.

The Museum of the Sea in Sóller takes a peculiar approach. It shows the history of the town through the connection of its inhabitants with the sea.

A wealth of archaeological discoveries has been made in Mallorca, as evidenced by the large number of museums devoted to this branch of history. The Manacor History Museum is a remarkable example. It is located in a 13th century medieval construction, known as Torre dels Enagistes. It also houses the visitor centre of the Son Peretó archaeological site and is part of the Archaeological Route created by the Consell de Mallorca.

Another important centre is the Monographic Museum of Pol•lèntia. It is located in the old hospital of Alcúdia, dating from the 14th century. It discovers an anterior Roman city.

To learn about the ancient habits and customs of the island your best choice is to visit the different ethnological museums. The Lluc Museum is located in an impressive 18th century monastery surrounded by a beautiful natural environment. It displays a collection that was bequeathed to the museum by the Catalan artist Coll Bardolet.

Some of the museums are located in old stately houses. A visit to any of these museums gives you an idea of how the Mallorcan nobility lived between the 17th century and the early 20th century. You can gather an idea of the lifestyle of both the rural nobility at Els Calderers House Museum in Sant Joan, a 18th century estate with a traditional interior courtyard known as “sa clastra”; and Palma’s noble class in the Can Marquès House Museum. The latter is a 13th century building situated in Palma’s historic centre. It underwent several changes of style, from Gothic to Modernism. Nowadays it keeps the designs that suited the early 20th century taste.

You can also visit handicraft museums displaying glasswork, traditional “tela de llengües” (tongue or patterned cloth) and pottery exhibitions. There are local flora and fauna museums, such as the Sóller Balearic Nature Science Museum with a selection of 500 fossils from Joan Bauzà’s paleontological collection. The museum displays the remains of Myotragus balearicus, a mammal that become extinct 5,000 years ago. The latest genetic testing relates Myotragus balearicus to the sheep family.