To see something different in Palma of Mallorca, you have to visit the Consolat de Mar (Consulate of the Sea) and the Lonja (Sa Llotja), which are among the most important buildings in the city.
La Lonja del Pescado (sa Llotja del Peix) is a Gothic building, built by the architect Guillem Sagrera between 1426 and 1477. Impressive and very elegant, the Lonja is considered one of the most fascinating monuments of the Mediterranean. It has a rectangular floor, and the four façades are delimited by octagonal towers and on the upper part of the walls there are battlements and gargoyles, in splendid symmetry between them.
The main façade stands out for its large portal divided in two by a small pillar and by the sculpture found in the tympanum, the Angelo de la Mercadería. On the opposite side of the structure, there is another important statue, the Virgin with Baby Jesus.
The south façade has two large, bright windows decorated inspired by natural geometries. Within the wide space, the only element present is the column. Six helical columns without capitals that, together with the large windows, create plays of light and shadow.
The name Lonja (fish market) defines the placing of the sea market, and here indeed, is where the goods coming from the sea were bargained.
La Lonja is currently used as an exhibition space, especially during the Nit de l’Art, which takes place at the end of September and is one of the most popular events of contemporary art in Mallorca, which attracts onlookers and gallerists internationally.
Next to La Lonja is the Consolat del Mar, which was the place intended for the resolution of mercantile conflicts that arose between buyers and sellers during negotiations. The Consolat de Mar (currently the seat of government of the Balearic Islands) is a two-story building. Here you can admire the statue of the Mallorcan navigator Jaume Ferrer, who in 1346 discovered the African coast of “River of Gold” and several works by Joan Miró. The two palaces share the Antic Jardí de la Llotja, (XV century) and the Consolat Chapel (XVI-XVII).