The Royal Palace of La Almudaina is the oldest monument in Palma, and it has been a seat of power without interruption since the tenth century. The name comes from the Arabic al-mudayna, meaning "citadel," and the building started life as an Islamic fortress at the political heart of the city.
After Jaume I conquered Mallorca in 1229, he transformed it into a royal residence, and it has never quite stopped being one: it remains the official residence of the King of Spain, who receives foreign heads of state here, though the royal family now prefers a more modern palace nearby for their August holidays.
The walls still carry traces of their Muslim origins, and a Gothic arch nearby marks the site of one of the old Roman city's gates.
VoiceMap's tours connect the Almudaina to Palma's layered history, tracing the displacement of the Jewish community from this area after the conquest and the medieval legend of the Drac de na Coca, the dragon-like creature said to have terrorised the city until a single knight brought it down.
Tours featuring the Royal Palace of La Almudaina (4)