During his stay in Mallorca, Jorge Luis Borges wrote a poem dedicated to the Cathedral, an avant-garde image of the temple.
The kneeling waves
The wind's muscles
The precipitous screaming towers
The cathedral suspended from a point of light
In the distance
In the distance
Masts sketch out horizons
And on the ingenuous beaches
New waves sing Matins
The cathedral is a stone aeroplane
Striving to break the thousand moorings
Imprisoning it The cathedral, resounding like applause
Or a kiss.
"La Catedral", published in the Baleares magazine (1921).
Translated by Richard Mansell. Performed by Agustín Fernández Mallo.
(Buenos Aires,1899 – Ginebra, 1986). Born in Argentina, Jorge Luis Borges is one of the most outstanding figures in Hispanic literature in the 20th century, and he visited Majorca on various occasions. As a young man he came with his family from March to July 1919 and from May 1920 to February 1921. They stayed at the Hotel Continental, on carrer de Sant Miquel in Palma, and visited and stayed in Valldemossa on the invitation of their friend Jacob Sureda. The young writer was actively involved in the cultural life of the city. He participated in various youth groups in Palma, introducing them to the avant-guard ultraist movement, especially in the Cafè dels Artistes’ literary discussions. This group of Majorcan writers were interested in literary renewal and the European artistic movements of the time, breaking with conventional aesthetics and themes and avoiding the most clichéd literature, lacking in risk and modernity. In the journal Baleares they published in February 1921 a Manifiesto del Ultra signed by Jorge Luis Borges, Joan Alomar, Jacob Sureda and Fortunio Bonanova (Joan Moll).
During this stay in Majorca, Borges published in Baleares poems such as “Catedral”, which expresses the great attraction Borges felt for Palma’s cathedral through a poem that clearly connects with the avant-guard aesthetics of the time.
Palma’s cathedral is one of the most beautiful and representative buildings of Mediterranean Gothic. It stands out for its height and its impressive and enormous rose window. The cathedral rises majestically to dominate the bay, offering one of the most beautiful images of the city to all those who arrive by sea. It is not for nothing that it has also been called the cathedral of the sea, of space and of light. Work began at the start of the 14th century during the reign of Jaume II, on the site of a former mosque. Over centuries it was developed and given this length of time if has incorporated elements from different artistic styles into a structurally Gothic building. Of note is Gaudí’s work on the cathedral in the early 20th century and the decoration of the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament carried out by Miquel Barceló and opened in 2007.
The cathedral has three entrances. The door that faces the sea is called the Porta del Mirador (Viewpoint door) and the walkway between the cathedral and the city walls offers one of the city’s most beautiful views.
