I don’t know if you have noticed that churches, temples and mosques often share the same location, with centuries between them, often with one being built over the previous edifice. In Mallorca, the Cathedral in Palma is such an example. Before the Conquista in 1229, the main mosque of Madina Mayurqa was found in its place. The conquering Christians originally used the mosque as a place of worship, until it was demolished and construction began in earnest for La Seu. You may have noticed that the Cathedral has a perfectly east-facing orientation, towards Mecca, or Jerusalem, as they would now say.

The Oratorio de Sant Miquel near Campanet (see both photos) can be counted as another example amongst a handful here in Mallorca. The location for this oratory on the banks of the Torrent de Sant Miquel was originally used as a Paleo-Christian temple (approx. 600 A. D.), before it was used and rebuilt as an Islamic mosque. After the Catalan conquest, a chapel and hermitage were constructed here in the Gothic style, one of the earliest ones in Mallorca of the new period under King Jaume I. In the pulpit there are three pretty old carved figures, representing Sant Pere, Sant Miquel and Sant Joan Batista. Another fine feature are the Teules Pintades (painted roof tiles).

The chapel and its surrounding landscape make for a splendid excursion. Within walking distance, you can find the Coves de Campanet and Ses Fonts Ufanes, the underground springs considered one of only two Monuments Naturals in Mallorca.

The photo (top) was taken near Campanet, Mallorca, Spain. The date: February 14th, 2012. The time was 18:04:19. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of flickr and fullos.

Thank you very much, and

moltes gràcies.