The Palace of the King's of Majorque

Version anglais

A royal palace from the medieval Mediterranean

The palace was built in the last quarter of the 13th century for King Jacques II of Majorque, who moved there in 1276. It is built on a hill to the south of the town surrounded by gardens. After 35 years of construction the building was finished and the chapels were consecrated in 1309.

On the 21st August 1262 Jacques I, King of Aragon, bequeathed to his eldest son, Pierre ; Aragon, Valencia, and Catalonia. He gave to Jacques II, the younger son, the Kingdom of Majorque (the Balearic Islands), the earldoms of Roussillon and Cerdagne, the domain of Montpellier. The “use“ of Barcelona was to remain open to both kingdoms.

The new kingdom had a difficult start since the kings of Aragon contested the Balearic Islands and for a short while confiscated them. It thereafter developed quickly under Jacques II (1276-1311) and Sanche (1311-1324). The towns, Perpignan in particular, had a remarkable growth.

Grand building projects multiplied : palaces, churches, and convents. The kings favoured industry and trade. From Majorque and Collioure merchant ships conveyed goods all over the Mediterranean. The kingdom was at its height during the Regency of Philippe of Majorque (1324-1329) and under Jacques III (1329-1349).

The development of the Roussillon cloth trade symbolises the dynamism of the period. The trade barely existed in the 13th century.

In Prats-de-Mollo and the market town of Perpignan, Flemish and Languedoc cloth was available. By the 14th century the trade was flourishing. Through their techniques and their knowledge of the markets, 25 years later, Catalan drapers and weavers were established in Valencia, Majorque and Sicily.

On the 25 October 1349, Jacques III died on the battlefield of Lluchmajor, as a result of a dispute with Pierre IV of Aragon. His Catalan domain was re-integrated with those of Aragon, and France acquired Montpellier. From this time the kings of Aragon stayed in the Palace of Majorque during their stays in Perpignan. The Pope, Benoit XIII, also stayed there in 1408.

The 9th May 1462 (The Treaty of Bayonne), King John II of Aragon, confronted by Catalan hostilities, obtained the support of the French king Louis XI. In return he received the revenues from the Roussillon and the Cerdagne, which the French immediately occupied. For 30 years there were plots and rebellions, notably in Perpignan, besieged in 1463, 1473 and 1474. Finally in exchange for a free hand in Italy, Charles VIII gave back the two earldoms in 1493.

The Franco-Spanish wars put the palace at the centre of Perpignan's defensive system, the frontier stronghold. From this time it is referred to as the citadel. Between 1538 and 1587, Charles Quint and Philippe II of Spain took turns besieging the red brick walls. After the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), and the annexation by the French, Vauban reinforced the defences by adding more defences to the interior end exterior walls of those built by Philippe II. At the end of five centuries of military occupation, the palace was opened to visitors after the Second World War.

Architecture

The Palace of the King's of Majorque is a Fortified Palace in the Gothic style. It is arranged around three courtyards (sides of about 60 meters). The first foremen on the site were Ramon Pau and especially Pons Descoyl, very active in Perpignan and the Balearics.

Here we have together in the “Great Hall“, the seat of political power, the chapel and the royal residence. The position of the chapel in the heart the royal apartments, opposite the throne room, indicates the importance of the spiritual over the temporal. The plan of the palace was inspired by those of Majorque, and the chapel is like that of the earlier Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.

The walls, built with uncut stones and bricks bound with mortar, were coated with lime and painted.

Doors, corridors, stairs, armatures and the main towers are all made of cut stone : ochre stone from Les Fonts, Baixas Blue, Sandstone, Red Marble from Villefranche-de-Conflent, White and Blue Marble from Ceret.

Visit plan

Contact et renseignements

Palais des Rois de Majorque
4 rue des Archers - 66000 PERPIGNAN - Tél : 04 68 34 96 29

Horaires d'ouverture
Horaire été : 10h à 18h
Horaire hiver : 9h à 17h - Fermé le 01/01, 05/01, 01/11 et 25/12

webcam en direct du Palais des rois de Majorque

Written by JP Alazet, J. Castanyer, D. Jaubert. In partnership with A. Catafau.

Conseil Général des Pyrénées-Orientales 24, quai Sadi Carnot, 66009 - Perpignan Cedex - Tél. 04 68 85 85 85 Nous contacter Coordonnées