Surely, one of the nicest chapels in Palma de Mallorca has to be the Capilla de la Llotja, dating from the late 16th century and built in the Gothic style. The small church used to belong to the Sea Merchants’ Guild who were busy with their wheelings and dealings in the Llotja building next door, where the Collegi de Mercaders were negotiating their trade exchange.

Nowadays, the chapel has ceased functioning as a place of worship and instead, is part of the adjoining Consolat de Mar (Sea Consulate), today the seat of the President of the Govern de les Illes Balears. The Llotja was built by Palma’s great stone mason, Guillem Sagrera (1380 – 1456), the Capilla de la Llotja by one of his successors. La Llotja is currently closed to the public due to some extensive restoration work being carried out. The Capilla de la Llotja is not in need of repair as far as I could see, but is closed to the public throughout the year regardless. Only once or twice a year, a day or two of Open Doors is held at the Consolat de Mar, when the chapel can be visited too, and admired in all its architectural beauty.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: March 1st, 2009. The time was 16:28:47.