Clutching at the rough stone of the Drac de Na Coca Sculpture, one can almost feel the chill of a 17th-century Palma night. Imagine the whispers running through the narrow, twisting streets behind the Cathedral. Tales of a fearsome dragon, lurking in the shadows. The Drac de Na Coca, they called it, emerging from its lair to terrorize late-night travelers. Some even whispered that it devoured children. The Drac de Na Coca became the city’s nightmare. The people of Palma lived in fear of this beast. One day, a brave knight, sword glinting in the moonlight, faced the monster. With a single, decisive blow, he ended the dragon’s reign of terror. But the beast, the dreaded Drac de Na Coca, turned out to be something quite unexpected. It was a small crocodile. This tropical creature, completely foreign to Mallorca, was likely a stowaway from a ship arriving from Africa. It had apparently escaped into the sewers, making them its home. The dead reptile was stuffed and preserved. You can still see it today in the Diocesan Museum, just next to the Cathedral. And here we stand, gazing upon the Drac de Na Coca Sculpture. This small stone carving overlooks the sea and harbor, a constant reminder of the creature’s unexpected arrival. It serves as a memorial, marking the spot where it may have first set foot on the island. The Drac de Na Coca, a legend born from a misplaced crocodile, continues to capture the imagination.
Antoni Maria Alcover i Sureda
Born amidst the sun-drenched fields of Santa Cirga, Antoni Maria Alcover i Sureda, a name synonymous with Majorcan literary revival,