The Església de Jesús-Maria in Sineu was built between 1793 and 1812, replacing an earlier temple dating from 1667. The church formed part of the convent of the Orde dels Mínims (Latin: Ordo Minimorum, Order of Minims). The adjoining Convent dels Mínims was built in 1693. Property of both, convent and church was expropriated in 1821 by the Spanish Cortes, together with other convents of the Mínims order in Mallorca, such as those in Muro, Campos and Santa Maria. The monks in Sineu were expelled in 1835.

Nowadays, the monastery serves as the seat of the Ajuntament de Sineu. The church next door is not used any longer except for occasional services, on perhaps two or three occasions per year. Above the unadorned church portal a splendid sundial can be seen, dating from 1810, as well as an enormous plaque with an inscription in Latin, dating from 1793. I wish I could decipher the meaning of the inscription. Can you?

The convent as well as the church were declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC), a sort of heritage protection status. You should pay a visit, if you haven’t done so already.

The photo was taken in Sineu, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: December 11th, 2011. The time was 11:44:02.