Basilica of Sant Francesc
Basilica of Sant Francesc is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Palma de Mallorca audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~45 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Palma de Mallorca Palma de Mallorca guide
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About Basilica of Sant Francesc
A great Gothic Franciscan church begun in 1281, holding the tomb of the Mallorcan thinker Ramon Llull and one of the loveliest cloisters in Spain, just east of the cathedral.
The Basilica of Sant Francesc is the church of the old Franciscan convent of Palma, founded in 1232 and rebuilt on this site from 1281. The church, raised between 1281 and 1317, has a single wide Gothic nave of the Catalan type, with eight side chapels and a polygonal apse whose chapels were added over the following centuries. Its plain front was rebuilt in the 17th century and given a Baroque portal below a rose window. It was proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1943.
Inside, in a chapel beside the high altar, is the Gothic tomb of Ramon Llull, the Mallorcan philosopher, writer and missionary born in Palma around 1232, carved in the 15th century by Francesc Sagrera. Beside the church lies its cloister, built between the 14th and 17th centuries and famous for its slender columns and lobed arches, declared a national monument in 1881. Junipero Serra, the Franciscan who founded the California missions, studied at the convent.
Did you know? The church holds the 15th-century Gothic tomb of Ramon Llull, the Palma-born philosopher and writer regarded as one of the first to create major literary works in the Catalan language.
How long should you spend at Basilica of Sant Francesc?
Plan about ~45 min at Basilica of Sant Francesc. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Basilica of Sant Francesc worth visiting?
Basilica of Sant Francesc is one of the 13 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Palma de Mallorca, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Palma de Mallorca
Day 1 of the Palma de Mallorca in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Basilica of Sant Francesc
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