Església de Nostra Senyora de Atotxa

Atotxa is the parish church of the small and tranquil village of Ariany, located in the es Pla region of Mallorca. The church differentiates from other churches in Mallorca with its rather playful architectural style.

Atotxa is situated at the highest point of Ariany, allowing the most stunning views over the es Pla region. Actually, there is a small platform, a mirador (viewpoint) next to the church which you can step in to through a small gate and enjoy the blessed views.

The story of Atotxa

The first Oratory of Ariany, which was already built in 1570 in the possession of Pere de Vivot, Lord of Ariany, was dedicated to the Mare de Déu de les Neus (Virgin of Snow). In 1717, following the appointment of Marc Antoni Cotoner as Marquis of Ariany, he arranged the construction of a new church which was completed in 1737. They had to destroy the old chapel in order to build the new temple in the same plot. This new church was an imitation of the San Antonio de los Portugueses Church in Madrid with an oval floor plan. The image which presides the temple is dedicated to the Mare de Déu de Atotxa from Madrid, which arrived in the village 1744, as a gift from the Marquis. However, the building had many defects as witnessed by Jeroni de Berard in 1789 and shortly after was in danger of falling into ruins.

The current temple was built in the beginning of the 19th century and consecrated in 1818. The transept, presbytery, and belfry were added between 1908 and 1911. The Choir and Atrium were built in 1917. For decades, the church had the category of a Vicarage, Suffragan Church of the Parrish of Petra, until it obtained the function of parish church in 1935.

The facade has a portico with three Ogive arches and above them, a beautiful rose window and balustrade. There is a main lintel doorway with grooved doorposts at the end of the Atrium. On the left, a stone marker records Monsignor Martí Truyols, the parish vicar and ecclesiastical administrator (1905-1942). On the left, there is a small undecorated lintel doorway, and a belfry with five square sections, the last one with two semi-circular arches per side.

Interior of Atotxa church

The interior has a latin cross floor plan, with three lateral chapels and a transept with two transversal arms, as well as the Presbytery. It has a barrel vault ceiling in the nave, arms, and presbytery, and we can also see an unlit solid dome in the centre of the transept. The main altarpiece is located in the Presbytery; it was brought from the old church of Manacor and modified for its new location with three levels and two sections. The image of the Mare de Déu de Atotxa presides in the centre, flanked by the image of Sant Joan Baptista (St. John the Baptist) and Sant Sebastià (St. Sebastian). In the upper section, the most modern, there is an image of Sant Gaietà (St. Cajetan), one of the town’s patron saints. The main altar is not located in the presbytery but in the vertical wall of the dome, where a large forged iron lamp is hung. The doorway of the Sacristy is located on the right of the presbytery.

On the right of the transept, an image of Christ has been conserved, a wood sculpture by the sculptor, Gayà (in 1985), with stairs for the veneration of the image and a stained glass window of the Ascension. To the left, we see a lateral doorway and a stained glass which represents the carpentry of Sant Josep (St. Joseph). The three chapels on the right are respectively dedicated to the Mare de Déu del Roser, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Puríssima Concepció. On the left, there is the Mare de Déu del Carme, Sant Josep, and Sant Antoni Abat. In the angle located between the last chapel and the left side of the transept, there is a stone pulpit. The Baptism font is located to the left of the main doorway and there is an organ built in the section above the atrium in the choir which was built by Antoni Cardell in 1927.