Naturpunkt: Mallorca: Interesting places -Monument of "Crist Rei" at the Monastery of Sant Salvador

Sonntag, 26. Oktober 2014

Mallorca: Interesting places -Monument of "Crist Rei" at the Monastery of Sant Salvador

Ones first View when approaching Sant Salvador is the 7m high statue of the Crist Rei statue, which was erected in 1934. The statue was donated to his home village by a Felanitx-born canon of Palma Cathedral. Near by is the cross at the summit of "El Picot" (1957)

The small chapel half way up the road to the sanctuary was constructed in 1910 to remember the legend of the shepherd who found the statue of Our Lady.

Sant Salvador with the hermitage of the same name, Santuari de Sant Salvador, is to be found southeast of Felanitx and is easy to reach via a comfortable winding road the former Pilgrims' Way, passing by an impressive stone cross situated atop El Picot and the stations of the Cross. The foundation stone of the monastery was laid in 1348. When the primitive church dedicated to the "Passió de la Imatge" was built. The present building was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century and a statue, venerated in the 15th century, of the Lady of Sant Salvador was placed above the altar, also a magnificent carved stone altarpiece of "La passió de la Imartge", also from the 15th century, was moved to a side chapel.

View from Sant Salvador

Although the exterior looks like a fortress, partly due to the stormy history of the monastery, in the Middle Ages, the monks had to defend themselves against numerous attacks by Arab pirates.

The interior of the monastery is the opposite being richly decorated. Notably the altarpiece of alabaster (16th century), which depicts the Last Supper and parts of the Passion and was created by Guillem Sagrera

At a height of 510m. and with fantastic views this monastery is a popular place to visit although it is still used regularly for worship, weddings or communions.

Mass is usually celebrated on Sundays and holidays days at 17.00hrs, also on the Sunday closest to September 8, to commemorate the coronation of the Image of Our Lady in 1934, and also the first Sunday after Easter.