La Misericòrdia Cultural Centre

The old Casa de la Misericòrdia, next to La Rambla, is one of Palma's largest civil buildings: for centuries it was a poorhouse, orphanage and old people's home, and today the Consell de Mallorca runs it as a cultural centre. Its rooms, under sandstone vaults, host temporary exhibitions, mostly by Mallorcan artists or about the islands, and the former chapel is used as a gallery too. The real surprise is underground: the Pati de ses Dones cistern, a rainwater reservoir restored over three years and opened recently, which you reach through a tunnel. Inside, a wooden walkway crosses the water between columns and arches lit in blue and white, with soft music; the marks on the columns show how high the water once rose. Right next door are the gardens, with a ficus whose crown spans 35 metres, the biggest tree in Palma. Entry is free.

Reviewed in November 2026