Legend says that King Jaume’s army camped here. They were weeks away from attacking Muslim Madina Mayurqa. This is Sant Bernat de la Real. It stands to the north of Palma. It is an old Cistercian monastery. The monastery sits between the roads to Establiments and Valldemossa.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine the year is 1229. Catalan troops are settling here. It is September 13th. They prepare to siege the city. They don’t enter Madina Mayurqa until December 31st.
The Cistercian monastery was founded in 1235. Monks came from Poblet in Catalonia. In 1266, they moved here. Before that, since 1239, they lived nearby. Their home was the Son Cabrer estate.
Sant Bernat de la Real held considerable lands. The abbot had civil power over them. He was a member of the council created by James III of Mallorca. He was second in rank after the bishop. Until 1517, Poblet monastery chose the abbots. After that, the monks at La Real chose them. In 1560, they became fully independent from Poblet.
Ramón Llull visited here often. He liked the outstanding library. Between 1265 and 1269, friars influenced him. They suggested he read Saint Anselm and Saint Augustine. This sparked his desire for preaching. It also gave him a spirit of contemplation. In 1274, he stayed a long time. He wrote important books here. One was “Llibre d’Ave Maria” or “Book of Hail Mary”. Llull even donated his personal library to Sant Bernat de la Real in his last will.
Consider the abbot in the 18th century. Antoni Ramon Pasqual was a notable follower of Llull. But in 1835, the Cistercian monks left. This was due to Mendizábal’s disentailment. The church became a vicarage for Secar de la Real. In 1897, the Missioners dels Sagrats Cors moved in. In 1913, the vicarage became a parish. Earlier, in 1907, Guillem Reynés renovated the church.
Notice the Cistercian style of the church. It dates back to the 13th century. The 17th century brought additions. The cloister is from the 15th and 18th centuries. The Chapter House still stands. In the cloister’s center, a statue honors Ramon Llull. Andreu Orell Salvà created it in 1952. Llull holds his “Book of Hail Mary”.
Today, Sant Bernat de la Real houses the Balearic Library. It is a major collection about the Balearic Islands. As you leave, remember its layered history. It was once a Muslim garden. Then it was a campsite for conquerors. It became a spiritual retreat, a library, and a parish. Sant Bernat de la Real stands as a testament to Mallorca’s rich and complex past.