El castillo de Bellver stá situado a 3 km. del centro histórico dePalma de Mallorca sobre
una colina de 140 mts y rodeado por un bello paraje natural. Desde él
se domina la bahía y la ciudad.
El castillo fué hecho construir por Jaume II Rey de Mallorca entre
1309 y 1311. Creado como residencia real, en el siglo XVIII pasó
a ser prisión militar, y en el siglo XIX temporalmente se convertió
fábrica de moneda.
Se emplearon 9 años en su construcción y el maestro de
obras fúe Pere Salvà y tambien participaron otros maestros
como Francesc Caballer, Ponç Descoll, Pere Tallada, Arnau Llompart
y el escultor Antoni Campredon. Único en su estructura circular en toda España con sus
tres torreones integrados y una torre del homenaje de 33,37 mts. dividida
en 4 plantas comunicadas por una escalera de caracol.
La torre está separada unos siete metros del castillo y unida
a él por un bello puente, de construcción posterior.
En el subterraneo se encuentra la famosa prisión de S'Olla
Sus cuatro torres coinciden con la rosa de los Vientos y esta rodeado
de un foso protector. El castillo alberga en su interior un patio de armas circular, de dos
pisos, formando galerías adornadas por columnas con arcos semicirculares
en su planta baja.
El patio fué construido encima de un aljibe con un pozo central.
Alrededor del patio se encuentran diferentes salas, varias de estas albergan
el "Museu de la Ciutat", una intesante exposición de la historia
de Palma, desde la prehistoria hasta la Edad Media, con cuatro areas:
Palma Prehistórica.
Palma Romana.
Palma Islámica
Palma Medieval
En la 2ª planta, estructurada alrededor de un galería con 42
columnas octogonales que soportan unos arcos ojívales germinados,
encontramos la capilla dedicada a Sant Marc.
En esta planta encontramos las obras de la colección Despuig.
Dentro del recinto del parque se encuentra una pequeña capilla
construida en 1865 en memoria de San Alonso Rodríguez.
Horario de Visitas del Castillo de Bellver en Palma de Mallorca by Mallorca Excursions
De octubre a Marzo de 8 a 17'30 h.
De Abril a Septiembre de 8 a 19'30 h.
Sábados por la mañana entrada libre para residentes.
Domingos entrada libre. Salas y museos cerrados.
VISIT PALMA
Bellver Castle (Castell de Bellver ) is a circular castle on a hill near Palma de Mallorca on the Island of Majorca , Balearic Islands . It was built in the 14th century for King James II of Aragon . It was used as a military prison during the 18th and 19th centuries. Now it is one of the main tourist attractions of the island.
Looking up at this castle, so perfectly maintained, it is hard to believe that it has been standing for almost 700 years. Begun by Jaume II in 1300 and built by Pere Salva, the architect of the Almudaina Palace, it is unique among Spanish castles in being entirely round. Three large towers surround a central courtyard, connected by an arch to a free standing keep. The courtyard itself is on two levels, the ground floor with semicircular arches and a flat roof, the upper level with Gothic arches and rib-vaulting. For the full effect, walk around the moat then climb onto the roof and look down into the courtyard to compare the contrasting styles. While you are there, look out over the city and the bay for one of the best views in Palma (Bellver meant 'lovely view' in ancient Catalan).
For many centuries the castle was used as a prison; Jaume III's widow and sons were imprisoned here for most of their lives. These days it contains Palma's museum of municipal history which traces the development of the city through its artifacts, with pottery from Talaiotic, Roman, Arab and Spanish periods.
It was used as a prison in the 1950s, a period where many people where still being prosecuted for their loyalty and commitment to the Republic during the Spanish Civil War 1936-39. After the Civil War, the insurgents, being victorious in part through the aid of National Socialist Germany and Fascist Italy, and also the reluctance to come to the aid of the democratic Spanish Republic by such major European powers as Great Britain and France, the leader of the Nationalist-Falangist rebellion, Franco, established a dictatorship that would last until his death in November 1975. P
Some estimates put the total number of executed prisoners in Spain in the first decade of the dictatorship as high as 60,000, some of whom may have spent time incarcerated in Castell de Bellver.
You can get there by car or taxi, or take a bus to Plaza Gomila and climb up through the pine woods above Carrer de Bellver, passing a chapel on the way.
