Artà is a small town in the north east of Mallorca. The attractive place is crowned by what looks from afar like a fortress, but isn’t really. The sanctuary of Sant Salvador used to be a monastery, even a hospital during the bubonic plague in 1820, but nowadays it simply is a church within a walled area, situated atop a mountain of the same name (182 m).

Some people argue that the sanctuary might have been an Almudaina (fortress) during the time of the Moors, whilst others claim that its origins reach well back to pre-Islamic times.

Be that as it may, Artà and Sant Salvador are well worth a visit. If you care to come in December, you might want to visit the Christmas market in Plaça del Conqueridor on December 15th (16h00 to 20h00).

The photo was taken in the town of Artà, Mallorca, Spain. The date: December 12th, 2007. The time was 14:37:35.