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Origin and history

The palace of the kings of Majorca, built in Perpignan at the end of the 13th century, was commissioned by James II of Majorca to serve as royal residence for the newly created kingdom. This kingdom, born from the division of the legacy of James I of Aragon in 1262, included the Balearic Islands, the Roussillon, the Cerdagne and Montpellier. The choice of Perpignan as capital reflected its strategic position between the Mediterranean and the Christian kingdoms of the north, as well as its economic dynamism, marked by textile trade, leather work and intense harbour activity in Collioure.

The architecture of the palace, inspired by the castles of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, combined defensive austerity and interior sumptuousness. Organised around three courses with galleries, loggias and halls (such as the Stamp Hall or Majorca Hall), it included Gothic chapels adorned with mudejar elements, such as friezes in kufic writing. This mix of styles illustrated the encounter between Christian and Islamic cultures, characteristic of the medieval Mediterranean. The Sainte-Croix chapel, with its marble portal, evoked the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris, highlighting the political and cultural ambition of the dynasty.

The kingdom of Majorca, ephemeral and marked by dynastic conflicts, died in the middle of the 14th century. James III, the last sovereign, was defeated by Peter IV of Aragon in 1344, ending the independence of the territory. The palace, transformed into an arsenal and then a citadel under Philip II of Spain, was surrounded by star fortifications in the 16th century. After the Roussillon joined France in 1659 (Treaty of the Pyrenees), Vauban strengthened his defences. Ranked a historical monument in 1913, it was restored in the 20th century and is now managed by the Pyrénées-Orientales department.

The citadel, built to control the Franco-Spanish border, still encompasses the medieval palace. In the 19th century, scholars obtained its inscription in the inventory of historical monuments (1875), avoiding its demolition. The restorations, initiated during the Second World War, revealed painted decorations and unique architectural structures. Since 1958, the site has been open to the public, offering an exceptional testimony of Mediterranean Gothic art and the turbulent history of the Iberian kingdoms.

The influence of the palace goes beyond its political role: it symbolizes the golden age of Perpignan, then commercial and intellectual crossroads. The University of Montpellier, the Eastern language schools, and the presence of Jewish and Christian scholars made it a radiant cultural home. Maritime trade, from Collioure to the Maghreb, enriched the region, while the textile industry and shipbuilding flourished. The fall of the kingdom marked the decline of this dynamism, but the palace remains an emblem of this fascist period, where arts, science and power crossed.

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