The town of Manacor in Majorca

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Introduction

Manacor is an important industrial and trade city of the island of Majorca, in the county of Llevant, which it is the capital. Its population of over 25,000 inhabitants, Manacor is the second city of the island, after the capital Palma de Mallorca.

Manacor is the administrative center of a municipality which includes, besides the town of Manacor, coastal communities S’Illot - Cala Morlanda, Porto Cristo, Cala Anguila, Cala Mendia, Cales de Mallorca and Cala Murada, the town has a population of over 40,000 inhabitants, making it the third most populous after Mallorca common common Palma and Calvià (small town but the coast was urbanized by the tourism development).

Etymology and toponymy

The town of Manacor in Mallorca - The crest of the city of Manacor. Click to enlarge the image.

Under the Roman Empire, Manacor was the ancient Cunicium.

Under the Moorish occupation, Manacor was the capital of the juz Manqur, a name of Berber origin, hence the current name of Manacor (formerly Mancor) comes.

The arms of the city have a hand holding a heart, a pun on the word Manacor "Man a Cor" (hand to heart).

The inhabitants of Manacor are called Manacorí for men and Manacorina for women.

Location

Manacor is located in the east of the island of Majorca, in the county of the Levant (Comarca de Llevant).

However, the western part of the town, with the town of Manacor is located geographically in the plain of Mallorca (Pla de Mallorca), this part has a subdued topography. The north and east lie on the central part of the mountain range of Serra de Llevant, with, in particular, Serres de Calicant (427 m) and have a hill and terrain.

Finally, the coastline, named Marina, is a platform, about 27 km long and 4 km wide, sloping towards the sea Its limestone soils have favored the emergence of various forms of karst erosion caused by rainfall, leading to the creation of numerous sinkholes and caves. Most notable are the Dragon Caves (Coves del Drach) and the Harpoons Caves (Coves dels Hams) near Porto Cristo.

The town of Manacor is the second largest municipality in the island after one of Llucmajor. It is bordered by the towns of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, northeast, Felanitx, south, Vilafranca de Bonany west; Petra northwest. Manacor is distant 54 km from the capital, Palma.

Visits

Manacor is a modern and industrious city without much charm, but once exceeded the tall buildings of the suburbs, we discover a historic center that contains some historical monuments worth visiting.
The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows (Església de Nostra Senyora dels Dolors)
The construction of the parish church of Our Lady of Sorrows began in the late nineteenth century, in 1891. It was built at the initiative of the priest of Manacor, the priest Rubí, to replace the previous parish church, built in the fourteenth to the sixteenth century, and became too small. The previous church was at the same location where the first church, St. Mary’s (església de Santa María) Church was built from 1232, shortly after the conquest of the island by Jaume I. This first church seems to have replaced a mosque dating from the Moorish occupation (a Muslim tombstone was discovered there, this tombstone is exposed to the Diocesan Museum of Palma). The construction of the new Church of Our Lady was assigned to a naval engineer, José Barceló Runggaldier, who drew the plans and directed the work. The architect Gaspar Bennàssar i Moner continued work Runggaldier and built the tower. The building is neo-Gothic style, some parts of the previous church have been preserved. The old tower was replaced by a new very slender tower, 80 meters high, higher than the bell tower of the Cathedral of Palma, the bell is attached to the apse of the church. This impressive tower was nicknamed "Rubí Tower" (Torre Rubí), in tribute to the priest Rubí who built the church, which is the tallest building in Manacor. The Notre Dame has a Latin cross plan with a nave and side chapels, five on each side, between the foothills. Two chapels, the Chapel of St. Anthony and St. Francis Chapel, located on each side of the choir, at the height of the stalls, they were part of the old church, dating from the late eighteenth century. Five other chapels are in the transept, two at the ends of branches at the left end is a chapel dedicated to the Holy Christ of Manacor (Sant Crist de Manacor), with a crucified Christ polychrome size, revered by parishioners at the right end, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of the Immaculate (Verge de la Inmaculada). The Church of Our Lady of Sorrows is located in the historic center of Manacor, Plaça Rector Rubi. Hours: daily, from 8:30 to 12:45 and from 17:00 to 19:30. Entry fee: Free admission.
The Dominican Monastery St. Vincent Ferrer (Convent Dominic de Sant Vicenç Ferrer / Convento dominicano de San Vicente Ferrer)
The Dominican preacher Vicenç Ferrer (1350-1419) came to preach in Manacor in 1414. He was canonized in 1455, and in 1576 a monastery dedicated to Sant Vicenç Ferrer was founded in Manacor by the Dominican Order of Preachers. The construction of the church of the monastery began in 1597 and it was consecrated in 1617. The construction of the monastery began in the mid-seventeenth century and continued until an unspecified date in the eighteenth century, probably until 1744. The church of Sant Vicenç Ferrer is a typical Majorcan conventual church is of Baroque style, but with restraint and austerity aesthetic characteristics Dominican. The beautiful facade, sober enough, this one topped by an arch portal, in the pediment above the lintel is a statue of the patron saint of the church, Saint Vincent Ferrer. The facade is flanked on the left by a pyramidal tower roof. The interior has a single nave and eight side chapels vaulted sobriety also predominates, with the exception of the Rosary Chapel. The Rosary Chapel (Capella del Roser) is located on the right side of the nave is a fine example of Baroque religious exuberant, with many ornaments and golden jewels. It contains an altarpiece churrigueresque. Another remarkable feature is the organ, probably built in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century. The monastery building has two floors around a charming rectangular cloister, dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The galleries on the ground floor and first floor are lined with baroque columns and segmental arches. In 1835, under the anticlerical government financial Mendizábal, the monastery was confiscated and used as a telegraph office or prison. It now houses the municipal officials. The monastery was completely renovated in 2005-2006. The monastery is located on the Convent Square (Plaça del Convent), in the center of Manacor. Visiting hours: Monday to Friday, from 8:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00. Entry fee: Free admission.
Tower of the Royal Palace
Manacor was the capital of the kings of Majorca, the royal palace, there remains only the square tower, Torre del Homenatge, thirteenth century. The tower, now called Torre del Palau, a café with a medieval setting, in Plaça del Rector Rubi.
Tower Ses Puntes
The tower of Spikes (Torre de Ses Puntes) is the last vestige of a fortified farm of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It now houses the Archaeological Museum of Manacor, which notably Roman and early Christian mosaics found around the city, and found objects in talayots region.
Tower of the Enagistes
The Tower of the Enagistes (Torre dels Enagistes) is a tower defense a fortified manor fourteenth century. It now houses the History Museum of Manacor (Museu d’Història de Manacor). The museum displays coins, navigation tools, pottery and mosaic Baleria, tombstone, mosaic from the early Christian basilica of Son Peretó (fifth century). On the first floor are inscriptions from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. The Historical Museum of Manacor is located on the outskirts of the city, 1.5 km on the road to Manacor in Cales de Mallorca. Summer hours (June to September): Monday to Saturday, 9 am from 30 to 14:30 and 18:00 to 20:30. Closed Tuesday and Sunday. Winter hours (October to May): Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 19:30. Sunday from 10:30 to 13:00. Entry fee: Free admission. Phone: 00 34 971 843 065 Website: http://museu.manacor.org
The Prehistoric Village of S’Hospitalet Vell
The prehistoric village S’Hopitalet Vell is located 1 km from the town of Manacor, on the road to Cales de Mallorca. This is a major prehistoric remains on the island of Mallorca, extending the period naviform and talayotic period. The naviform period (1700 to 1200/1100 BC) is characterized by buildings shaped nave construction elongated from 11 to 16 m in length and 7 to 9 m wide, which served as homes. The roof was made of beams and branches. Talayotic the period (1200/1100 à 123 BC) is marked by the presence of talayots, towers at two levels that could be used as a watchtower and a community hall. The talaiot S’Hopitalet Vell is square in plan, you can see the pole that supported the stone ceiling separating the two floors. Around the talaiot were backed housing. You can also see a rectangular building, built of large stones, including two houses separated by a courtyard, this building dates from the third century BC, at the time of the Punic Wars when the Balearic slingers were enrolled in the Carthaginian armies. Admission is free. Free tour with signs explanation in four languages (not French…).
The Pearl Factory
The artificial pearl industry has developed to Mallorca at the end of the nineteenth century, mainly in Manacor. This activity is still to Manacor, a core activity, very export and the city maintains two internationally renowned manufacturers: Perlas Majorica, created in 1902 by the German Eduard Heusch and Perlas Orquídea. You can see a demonstration of the production, such as Majorica pearls. The factory tour is a bit superficial, but provides an overview of the manufacturing process. The beads are made by hand using the same materials and the same characteristics as natural pearls produced by oysters. The core of the imitation pearl is a globule of glass on which are painted several layers of sticky liquid, called "pearl essence", mainly composed of fish scales. The finite elements - a color from pale yellow to metallic gray - are delicately polished and set into various types of jewelry. Artificial pearls are virtually indistinguishable from natural pearls, and last longer, they are also very expensive. Factory visit Majorica: Address: Via Majorica, s / n The exhibition and shop selling local is located on the main road Ma-15 Palma in Artà, at kilometer 47. Upstairs you can see workers working on beads, but the real factory is located elsewhere and is not open to visitors. Summer hours (March to October): Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 18:00 (19:00 from July to September), Saturday and Sunday, from 9:00 to 13:00. Winter hours (November to February): Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 17:00, Saturday from 9:00 to 13:00, closed on Sundays and holidays. Entrance fee: Free admission. Phone: 00 34 971 550 900

Practical Information

The Tourist Office

Transport

Weather forecast

Address: In the city center, Plaça Ramon Llul, s / n

Hours: Monday, from 9:00 to 14:00, Tuesday to Friday, from 9:30 to 13:30, closed on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and holidays.

Phone: 00 34 971 847 241

Website: turisme.manacor.org

Manacor is the terminus of the railway line Palma-Inca-Manacor, opened in 1879 iron. Until 1970 the line continued until Artà, via Sant Llorenç des Cardassar.

The bus lines 411, 412 and 416 allow to Palma. Line 424 connects Manacor to Cales de Mallorca.

Timetables: www.tib.org

Markets
The Manacor market is held every Monday morning on the Plaça de la Constitució. It is almost as important as of Inca. The market for handicrafts is on Saturday on the Plaça Sa Bassa.

Hotel La Reserva Rotana

Hotel La Reserva Rotana is a boutique hotel housed in an old finca in the seventeenth century. The hotel has 22 rooms - each with its own decorative antiques - a fine restaurant, a large swimming pool, a spa and its own golf course with 9 holes. All in a great area with wonderful views of the countryside.

La Reserva Rotana is located 4 km north of Manacor Cami de S’Avall s / n.

Phone: 00 34 971 845 685

Website: www.reservarotana.com