The Government highlights the value of La Lonja de Palma on the 600th anniversary of its constructio

The Government reopened La Lonja almost two and a half years ago to return this space to the public and turn it into a cultural hub and a landmark venue for contemporary art.

The president of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Margalida Prohens, presided yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, March 11th, over the commemorative event marking the sixth centenary of the signing of the contract for the construction of La Lonja de Palma, one of the most emblematic buildings in the historical and artistic heritage of the Balearic Islands.

The commemoration, organized by the Government through the Institute of Balearic Studies (IEB), was attended by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Jaume Bauzá; the Regional Secretary for Culture and Sports, Pedro Vidal; and the Director General for Culture, Llorenç Perelló, among other authorities.

During her speech, the president recalled that “exactly six hundred years ago, on a day like today, the representatives of the College of Merchants and the architect Guillem Sagrera signed an agreement that would ultimately give rise to one of the most extraordinary works of our heritage: La Lonja de Palma.”

Prohens highlighted that this building, originally conceived as the headquarters of the College of Merchants, became a symbol of a period of commercial splendor for the Kingdom of Mallorca and of the city’s maritime dynamism.

“La Lonja is one of the finest examples of Mediterranean civil Gothic architecture and the masterpiece of Guillem Sagrera, the most important figure in medieval architecture in the Balearic Islands,” the president said, emphasizing the Mallorcan architect’s ability to “turn stone into movement and create a unique and incomparable building.”

In this regard, Prohens stressed that, six centuries after construction began, La Lonja remains a space that impresses and moves people.

The president also recalled that the Government reopened La Lonja almost two and a half years ago to return this space to the public and turn it into a cultural hub and a benchmark venue for contemporary art.

Since its reopening, the building has hosted exhibitions by internationally renowned artists such as Pedro Cabrita Reis, Jaume Plensa and Julian Opie, as well as “Paysage Miró,” the largest exhibition ever dedicated to Joan Miró in the Balearic Islands.

In addition, La Lonja has served as the venue for various cultural activities, including dance through the Palma Dansa festival, literature through the Conversations with Carme Riera series, and concerts by the Symphony Orchestra of the Balearic Islands.

“La Lonja is more alive than ever, as an open, dynamic space connected with the world,” Prohens stated.

The commemorative event included the cultural lecture “La Lonja (1426–2026): Six Hundred Years of History and Art in the City of Mallorca,” delivered by Sebastiana Sabater, Professor of Art History at the University of the Balearic Islands.

The event also featured a performance by the Mallorca Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Bernat Quetglas. The program included the piece “Transitus liminis,” by Joan Pérez Villegas, and the “Requiem,” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The musical program sought to evoke the music of the period in which the La Lonja building was constructed.