A visit to interior of Bellver Castle
It's one of a kind. A Gothic castle, perched on a 112-meter hill, with a round floor plan - the only one of its kind in 14th-century Europe - and surrounded by a pine forest, reminiscent of a medieval movie.
Bellver Castle was built between 1300 and 1311 as part of King Jaume II's meticulous defensive planning. However, it was also intended to be the residence of the Mallorcan royal family, so it was designed as a palace-fortress with a strong defensive character, yet with elegant and refined interiors befitting a royal palace.
The interior of Bellver Castle: a palace with defensive elements
The interior of the castle reveals its grandeur. The construction is centered around a central courtyard, surrounded by twenty-one semicircular arches. At the top, a gallery with rib-vaulted ceilings was designed, featuring forty-two pointed arches.
Three spiral staircases connect the two floors, although one of them was modified in recent decades to create a wider entrance for visitors.
The center of the courtyard is marked by a well with a cistern that collects rainwater from both the courtyard itself and the terraces.
The layout of the castle in the 14th century
On the ground floor of the castle were the rooms where supplies for the inhabitants were stored. Others served as accommodations for the staff and soldiers.
On the upper floor were the noble quarters, including the royal family's chambers. Additionally, this is where the rooms for meetings, receptions, and ceremonies were located, as well as the Chapel of San Marcos.
The rooms were painted in vivid and intense colors, and the decor and furniture were regal and elegant. Nothing of the originals has been preserved, and what can be seen today was acquired in 1960.
The kitchens were located next to the main staircase, although they were not part of Bellver's initial designs.
The main or homage tower
The main tower, also known as the homage tower, is the most emblematic and unique feature of Bellver Castle.
It is a circular structure thirty-three meters high, situated precisely on the northern part. Inside, there are four circular chambers with a diameter of six meters each, connected by a spiral staircase. In the basement lies the "olla" or cistern, which collected rainwater in case of surviving a prolonged siege.
A bridge supported by a double pointed arch was the only access to the homage tower, and it could only be reached from the upper terrace of the castle. Additionally, there was a drawbridge that connected the lower part of the tower, crossed the moat, and led to the exterior of the castle, in case there was a need to escape without traversing the entire fortress.
The tower gets its name because, in medieval times, this type of building was used for swearing loyalty and obedience to the king or lord of the fortress. For that reason, it had to be a regal structure, with a noble appearance, featuring vaulted ceilings in the rooms and details in some windows. In many of them, stone benches, also known as "festejadors," can be found.