What to do · Pollença and Cap de Formentor
Museu de Pollença in the Sant Domingo convent
Information
- Price
- Free
- Duration
- 1 h
- Who it's for
- Everyone; a plan for a rainy day
Pollença's municipal museum occupies the old Sant Domingo convent, in the centre of the town, and can be visited free: both admission and guided tours. It officially opened in 1975 and today holds one of the most complete painting collections in Mallorca, alongside Gothic altarpieces from the town's churches.
A Dominican convent of 1588
The convent was built between 1588 and 1616. The Dominicans lived in it until the confiscation of 1836; afterwards it was a Guardia Civil barracks, a warehouse and a library. The church has a basilica plan, with ten side chapels, each with an altarpiece of its period; the main one, of the Mare de Déu del Roser, was made between 1651 and 1662 and holds a 15th-century image. The Baroque cloister is rectangular, with four arcaded galleries on Ionic columns.
Painters who came from Paris
At the start of the 20th century painters began arriving in Pollença from Paris: Anglada Camarasa, Tito Cittadini, Bellini, López Nagil, Montenegro. Others followed, from Latin America and from the island. In 1962 the Salón Estival de Pintura was born, today the Certamen Internacional de Artes Visuales, and its prizewinning works make up the museum's contemporary art collection.
From prehistory to the mandala
Besides painting, there is a prehistory room, ceramics from the convent itself, the Gothic altarpieces, the collection of the Argentine artist Atilio Boveri and a Buddhist Kalachakra mandala. An hour is enough to see it calmly; with the church and cloister, a little more.
Tuesday to Sunday mornings
According to the town council, it opens Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00 and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 13:30. It is closed on Mondays and public holidays. The tourist office publishes slightly different hours (Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 14:00), so if you go at the weekend near closing time, call first on 971 531 166 or write to [email protected]. The address is Carrer Pere J. Cànaves Salas, s/n.
Before or after the museum
It is a few minutes' walk from Plaça Major and from the foot of the Calvari. On Sunday it fits with the square's market, which closes at the same time. It is also the back-up plan if it rains or is too hot for Bóquer or the Puig de Maria. In November, during the fira, the cloister hosts the crafts show, and in April the Fira del Vi.
Tips
- Come on a Sunday morning It opens until 13:30 and is a step away from the Plaça Major market.
- Ask for the guided tour It is free, like admission; the town council does not explain how to book it, so call first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Museu de Pollença cost?
Nothing: admission and guided tours are free.
What day is it closed?
Mondays and public holidays.
Where is the Sant Domingo convent?
In the old Sant Domingo convent, on Carrer Pere J. Cànaves Salas, in the centre of Pollença.
What can you see inside?
Paintings by the artists who worked in Pollença and from the international competition, Gothic altarpieces, prehistory, ceramics and a Kalachakra mandala.
As a family
