Palau March, a private palace now used as a modern art gallery, with palm trees in foreground.

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Palau March

Top choice in Palma de Mallorca


This house, palatial by any definition, was one of several residences of the phenomenally wealthy March family. Sculptures by 20th-century greats, including Henry Moore, Auguste Rodin, Barbara Hepworth and Eduardo Chillida, grace the outdoor terrace. Within lie many more artistic treasures. Not to be missed are the meticulously crafted figures of an 18th-century Neapolitan belén (nativity scene).

Entry is through an outdoor terrace display of modern sculptural works, of which centre stage is taken by Corberó's enormous Orgue del Mar (1973).

Inside, more than 20 lithographs by Dalí around the themes 'Alchemy and Eternity' catch the eye, as do the 1000-plus detailed figures of the belén, ranging from angels to kings, including shepherds, farm animals and market scenes, which make up a unique representation of Christ’s birth. Brought from Naples in the 1970s and originally kept away from public view, aside from at Christmas time, you can watch a short video documenting the painstaking installation of the display into its current home in 2007.

Upstairs, the artist Josep Maria Sert (1874–1945) painted the main vault and music room ceiling. The vault is divided into four parts, the first three representing three virtues (audacity, reason and inspiration) and the last the embodiment of those qualities in the form of Sert’s patron, Juan March (1917–98). The dining room is decorated by large paintings of local bird life, also by Sert.


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