Plaça de Cort and the ancient olive tree

Welcome to Palma's administrative heart. This square is called Cort because the courts, the «corts», and the government of the city and the kingdom were gathered here. From 1249 the city's councillors met on the site now occupied by City Hall.

1A façade to show off

City Hall was built in stages between 1649 and the 19th century, following the model of a Mallorcan noble house. Its most striking feature is the carved wooden eave, huge and jutting far out. Jules Verne, in his novel Clovis Dardentor, paused to describe it and claimed that no foreigner came to Palma without wanting to admire it. Beneath the balconies, locals point out the «banc dels vagos», the idlers' bench, and the old clock known as d'en Figuera.

Every 31 December, the Festa de l'Estendard commemorates here the entry of James I into the city in 1229. It is considered one of the oldest civic festivals in Europe.

2The olive tree

In 1989 an olive tree from the Pedruixella Petit estate in Pollença was transplanted to the square. It is estimated to be more than six hundred years old and weighs about four tonnes. Its hollow, twisted trunk has become one of the most photographed corners of the city.

Look closely at its shapes: some people see faces and figures in the knots of the wood.

This square is also the starting point for measuring the kilometres along Mallorca's main roads.

3What to look for

• The wooden eave of City Hall.
• The olive tree and its twisted trunk.
• The long bench beneath the façade, the famous «banc dels vagos».