The Cort in Palma was initially the court or residence of the town elders. Now, the Cort is the seat of the municipal Ajuntament (Town Hall). The building in Plaça Cort was built in the 17th century and boasts an impressive Baroque façade. The main portal is Gothic though and dates from the old Hospital de Sant Andreu which stood in this spot originally (1230-1249).

You must have a look right up the façade to be able to admire the impressive cantilevered overhangs with an unusual depth of 3.60 m, having been skillfully carved by the carpenter, Josep Vanrell, following a design by the sculptor, Gabriel Torres. You can enter the Town Hall lobby and admire the beautiful imperial staircase and the two imposing giants made of papier mâché, Francinaina (left) and Tòfol (right). You can also visit the Municipal Library on the ground floor, now in its 151st year. If you are a resident in Mallorca you can borrow books there; if not, you can still browse through books and newspapers or magazines.

Upon leaving the Cort building, you will find a most beautiful, centuries old olive tree opposite. From there, have another look up over the top of the Town Hall’s building where you will see a rather intricate bell tower, holding En Figuera, a masterfully crafted clock tower with bell and Glockenspiel, dating from 1849. The bell and clock date back to the 14th century and were then on top of the Torre de las Horas in Calle Victoria. Now, En Figuera chimes twelve times on New Year’s Eve, each year, as well as chiming every hour on the hour, all year round.

The photos were taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: December 30th, 2011. The time was 14:16:25 and 14:23:52, respectively.