Palma

Palma or Palma de Mallorca (päl`mä thā mälyôr`kä), city (1990 pop. 325,120), capital of Majorca island and of Baleares prov., Spain, on the Bay of Palma. It is the chief port and commercial center of the Balearic Islands. Picturesquely situated along the bay and into the surrounding hills, it is one of Europe's most renowned resorts. The international airport is one of the three busiest in Spain. Craft industries and the manufacture of furniture and textiles supplement the tourism. Stone Age remains have been found. The imposing Gothic cathedral, founded after James I of Aragón wrested (1229) Palma from the Moors, was finished only in the 17th cent. Nearby are the Castillo della Almudaina (once a Moorish palace), and the 15th-century Lonja [exchange]. There are several ancient churches, notably that of San Francisco (13th cent.), and fine private homes. The former royal palace of Bellver, c.2 mi (3.2 km) W of Palma, is a good example of 14th-century military architecture. The city has several fine modern and contemporary art museums, including the Miró Foundation. Palma was an important naval and air base of the Nationalists during the Spanish civil war (1936–39).

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Palma

 in full Palma de Mallorca

City (pop., 2006 est.: 284,000), capital of the Balearic Islands and communidad autónoma (autonomous community), Spain. Palma lies on the southwestern coast of Majorca island on Palma Bay in the western Mediterranean Sea. Romans conquered Majorca in 123 BC, and it was later ruled by Byzantines and by the Arabs before being taken by James I of Aragon in 1229. The city's old sections have many notable homes built in the 16th and 18th centuries. Historic buildings include the Gothic cathedral and Bellver Castle. The economy is varied and includes tourism and light manufacturing.