Bodega Mayor, Palma, Guía del visitante y qué hacer cerca

Bodega Mayor is a business at number 11 on the Plaça Major, the arcaded square in the centre of Palma, Mallorca. The square is the real draw: a nineteenth-century space of cafes and shops built over a site tied to the Inquisition, and a good place to pause on a walk through the old town.

The story behind it

The Plaça Major stands where the Inquisition once had its headquarters in Palma. The tribunal operated in Mallorca from 1488, and its best-known victims were the Xuetes, descendants of the island's Jewish community who had been forced to convert. In 1691 a series of autos-da-fé known as the cremadisses, or burnings, took place, and three Xuetes were burned alive. The stigma attached to the community lasted for generations.

After the Inquisition's building was demolished in the early nineteenth century, the site was cleared for a public square. Work on the first wing began about ten years later and was completed in 1838. Building went on well into the twentieth century, when an underground car park and commercial galleries were added. A place of fear became a place for shopping and sitting outside.

What to look for

• The arcades that frame the square give it a uniform, enclosed feel that is easy to read as a nineteenth-century design.
• The cafe terraces under and in front of the arcades show how the square is used today, in contrast to its past.
• The street number 11 on the square marks the address of Bodega Mayor, so you can place it among the surrounding arches.
• The openness of the space itself is worth noticing, since the site was once built over by the tribunal's headquarters.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the square, longer if you sit down for a drink or a bite.
• Morning is calmer for looking at the architecture, while late afternoon suits a seat on a terrace.
• The square is a public open space, but check current opening hours for Bodega Mayor and any shops around it.
• The square sits in the middle of the old town, so it links easily on foot with the other streets and landmarks nearby.

See it on a quest

Romantic Palma de Mallorca: Fall in Love Again is a good way to take in the square at an easy pace. You reach it on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Palma suits anyone who likes a darker mood, and this square has a dark past. You walk to it as part of a route through the streets, hear about each place when you get there, and solve a puzzle in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

From Castle to Palma Master links the square with other parts of the city on one self-guided walk. The app tells you about each stop as you reach it and sets a puzzle in what you see. One ticket covers the whole group.