The green hill, located at an altitude of 112 meters on the western outskirts of Palma de Mallorca and bordered by a cascade of verdant lush pine trees, offers fantastic sea views. Perhaps King Jaime II, who ruled in the 14th century, was looking for a convenient place to build his palace and admired the scenery, which is why the built castle was called Bellver — “beautiful view”. The fortress has long ceased to serve as a royal residence but has not lost its grandeur.
Today, tourists from all over the world, relaxing in Mallorca, tend to get on an excursion to Bellver Castle in Palma. A tour of Bellver Castle will appeal to schoolchildren who are fond of history, including the history of architecture.
The construction was entrusted to the architect Pere Salva. The construction of the fortress began in 1300 and by 1311 the main body was built. Some experts believe that the prototype of Bellver was the ancient stronghold of Herodium, located in Judea. Castell de Bellver has an unusual round shape for a Gothic building and combines the grace of a palace and the power of a defensive structure.
The peculiarity of the building is that its design has a unique circular terrace. External blank and high walls contrast with the airy design of the courtyard, where lancet arches form the gallery. In addition, the view of the building from above resembles a giant compass: its four towers are oriented to the cardinal points, with the central tower pointing north. This tower stands separately from the entire building and is connected to it by a bridge at a height of 2 floors.
At the end of the 14th century, during the raging plague, the fortress became the abode for King Juan of Aragon, who hid within its walls from a terrible illness.
However, the Castel de Bellver was only the king's residence for a short time. It was a prison for much longer, and the first scientific description of the fortress was made by one of its prisoners, the writer Gaspar Jovellanos. And only in 1976, it was decided to reconstruct the unique building and place the Museum of the History of the City in the castle. Its exposition covers the period from the appearance of the first settlements on the site of Palma de Mallorca to the Middle Ages. Many exhibits were found during archaeological excavations in the territory of the main city of Mallorca.
The roof of the Bellver Fortress serves as a good observation platform from where you can see neighbouring settlements, bays and the endless sea. While parents will be photographed against the backdrop of one of the main attractions of Mallorca, children can play as the fortress's defenders.
5 km from the Bellver Castle in Palma de Mallorca is another old fortress — the castle of St. Carlos, which currently houses the military history museum.
