Església de Sant Pere de Petra

church esglesia de sant pere in petra village mallorca

About

About the church of Sant Pere

The first reference of a church in Petra is found in a bull of pope Innocent IV, from 1248, under the name of Sancti Petri de Petra.

The church of Sant Pere (Saint Peter) is actually the third church construction in the village of Petra. The construction of the church was started back in 1583, when the village saw an increasing influx of landowners, and therefore, an increased congregation.

The construction of this church was so extensive that it took almost 200 years to finish. It was inaugurated in 1730, but not finished until 1766.

The 31 meter high bell tower was constructed in 1669. The bell tower is has ogival windows and an outstanding pyramid on top. The bells are from the 17th and 18th centuries. The chapel of the rosary (Capella del Roser), which is found at the foot of the tower, was inaugurated in 1689.

At a glance, when looking at the church from the outside you will notice the arched colonnade on the side. These correspond the seven lateral chapels on the inside. Beneath them is the main entrance of the church, with a sculpture of Santa Pràxedis, patron saint of Petra, made by sculptor Guillem Galmés.

arched entrance of the esglesia de sant pere church in petra mallorca with a figure of Santa Pràxedis above it

Gothic styles are dominating the outside as well the inside of the church. The lateral chapels inside are separated by ogival arches, typical from Gothic architecture. The altarpiece in the choir is likewise made in Gothic style, and has a picture of Saint Peter in it. The main altarpiece was made in 1790, and came to Petra from the Sant Domingo convent in Palma in the beginning of the 1800’s.

The octagon baptistery was made by Joan Antic and Miquel Abraham, and was the one used to baptize the famous precher and missionairy Junipero Serra, in 1713.

In each of the side chapels you can enjoy the beautiful Gothic religious art collected from the 15th century, as well as the Neo-Gothic art from the 20th century.

The church in Petra belongs to the biggest churches in Mallorca.

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Petra

The village of Petra boasts pastoral charm like no other place in Mallorca, a place where traditions and religious culture are the protagonists. Despite of its rather modest size, Petra is home to more than a handful of attractions to visit such as the house museum of famous preacher Junipero Serra, the imposing parochial church of Saint Peter, the hilltop sanctuary of Bonany and the convent of Bernadí. In the street called “Carrer de Hospital”, you will find one of the best restaurants in the area, Celler es Petra.

Petra things to do, accommodation and market