“Bench of the lazy people.” It is quite a curious name. We are standing in front of the Ajuntament. This is Palma de Mallorca’s town hall. It stands proudly on Cort Square. The square is named for the old courts that gathered here.
The Ajuntament’s story began long ago. It was built between 1649 and 1680. It replaced the Hospital of Sant Andreu. The square was once named after this hospital. Re Bauca, Miquel Oliver and Bartomeu Calafat were the architects.
Notice the Ajuntament’s facade. It is mostly Baroque. Look closely for Gothic and Mannerist touches. This blend makes it a traditional Majorcan style.
Let’s focus on some highlights. See the gigantic wooden roof? It overhangs the facade by more than three meters. That is serious eavesdropping!
Take in the long balcony. It features six windows and a central glass door. Above the main window is the town hall’s clock. It is called the Reloj d’en Figuera. This clock has an interesting past. It was installed in 1863. But it had been working for centuries. It was in the church of the Dominics. This clock was special. It once had 14 hours instead of 12. These 14 hours marked the maximum daylight in June. They also showed the shortest daylight in December. In 1849, they replaced it with a normal 12-hour clock.
Now, about that “bench of the lazy people”. It is called the banc de sinofós. Si no fos means “if it wasn’t”. Lazy people used this excuse when offered work. “If it wasn’t for my rheumatism…” You get the idea.
There is more to see on the facade. On the left door, find a lizard and a snail. These are signatures. Jaume Caragol means snail in English. Francesc Dragó means lizard. They refurbished the building. But they could not sign the project directly. So, they left these small animals as their mark.
The Ajuntament continues to be Palma’s city Council. Inside, find giant mannequins of kings. They use these in city festivals. The main hall displays portraits of famous Mallorcans.
If you want to explore further, tours are available. They happen every Sunday. Catalan tours are at 11:00 AM. Spanish tours are at 12:00 PM. English tours are on the first Sunday of each month in the afternoon. Remember to book in advance. You can discover more of Palma’s secrets.