A ride through the walled Alcúdia founded by James II in 1298: the two surviving gates of the original three, the neo-Gothic church of Sant Jaume, and the Renaissance bastion that ended up as a bullring.
The heart of the old town and our departure point. The current town hall was built in 1929 and inaugurated by Infante Jaime de Borbón and Miguel Primo de Rivera.
What they don't tell you
Between 1521 and 1523 all Mallorca rose against Charles V. Alcúdia was the only town that stayed loyal, and the emperor repaid it with the title of City and of Most Faithful. That is why the coat of arms carries the double-headed imperial eagle.
Founded in 1298 by James II when the town was created. The original 14th-century church collapsed in February 1870 and was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style between 1882 and 1893.
What they don't tell you
The church you see is not medieval, it is a 19th-century impostor. The real one simply collapsed one night, with no earthquake and no war. The only genuinely old thing is the 15th-century Christ in the adjoining chapel, which survived.
Created in 1983 and opened in 1987, it occupies a 14th-century building that was once a hospital. It is a section of the Museum of Mallorca.
What they don't tell you
Its star piece is a bronze bust that gives its name to the House of the Bronze Head at the site. The house is called that because the head was found inside it. The head is here. The house is still there, headless.
The north-eastern gate of the medieval walls, the one facing the harbour, hence its name. A pointed Gothic arch between two square battlemented towers. Also known as Porta de Xara.
What they don't tell you
It stands on Plaça de Carles V. On 17 July 1523 that same emperor authorised Alcúdia to carve the royal imperial arms above the town gates, as a reward for its loyalty.
James II ordered the walls in 1298 and work finished in 1362. A quadrangular structure with 26 towers, a 1.5 km perimeter and an average height of 6 metres, built in marès, the local sandstone.
What they don't tell you
You can walk along the top. The original moat still survives.
The only bastion surviving intact from the Renaissance outer walls, built after the corsair raids with low artillery-ready bastions.
What they don't tell you
In 1892 the oldest bullring in Mallorca was built inside it, seating 1,037. A military bastion recycled into a bullring: the sentry box is still embedded in the stands. No bullfights since 2017.
