Montesió and the old Call

You are in the heart of what was the Call, the Jewish quarter of the City of Mallorca. The Baroque doorway in front of you belongs to the church of Montesió, built on the plot where, according to the sources, the main synagogue once stood.

1A thriving community

Jews had lived in Mallorca since ancient times. After the conquest of 1229, James I settled them near the Almudaina, and in the mid-13th century the community moved to this area, which became known as the Call Major. In the 14th century it numbered around three thousand people, almost 15% of the city's population. They had their own community council, their own laws and their synagogues, and among them were doctors, merchants and cartographers who made the Mallorcan school of mapmaking famous.

2The end of the Call

In 1391 a revolt ended with attacks on the Jewish quarters of Palma and Inca: many were killed, others fled or converted. In 1435 those who remained were forced to be baptised. From then on there were officially no Jews on the island, but many converso families kept their memory alive for generations.

This street holds the story of a community that was part of Palma for centuries.

The Jesuits arrived in 1561 and began this church in 1571. The lay brother and porter Saint Alphonsus Rodríguez is buried inside.

3What to look for

• The Baroque doorway, with the Virgin at the top.
• The street layout, narrow and enclosed, like the old walled Call.
• The bell tower, rising above the rooftops.