REFUGE TO THE MILITIA OF POLLENÇA DURING THE 16TH CENTURY

Pollença locals built this chapel in the sixteenth century on the site where they would meet before heading off to defend the coastline from pirate attacks.

The Oratory of Saint George was built in the sixteenth century on the then outskirts of the town. This wasn't a chance location, though, as it occupied the site where the local militiamen would meet before being deployed to the coast of Pollença to fend off pirate boats, which at the time posed an ever-present threat in Mediterranean waters. With good reason the temple was dedicated to the patron saint of knights and soldiers, Sant Jordi (Saint George).

The Baroque-style (1) altarpiece that can be seen behind the high altar was made in 1653 and features a figure of the Virgin, known as the Virgen del Mar, in memory of the image found by chance in Cala d'Ariant in the seventeenth century.

However, the current design of the chapel dates back to the eighteenth century, when it integrated a basilica floor plan and ribbed vault, as well as the side chapel dedicated to San Marcial, built in 1770. By 1829, work had begun on the adjacent building, which was first a hospice and then in 1849 became a Sisters of Charity residence.

(1) Baroque-style: A term identified with a cultural movement and artistic style dating approximately from the seventeenth to mid-eighteenth century, characterised by excessive ornamentation. In fact, the concept was coined by its critics using the French word 'baroque', one translation of which is 'extravagant', referring to what they considered was an excess on the part of certain artists. As a style, it followed Renaissance and preceded Neoclassicism, first catching on in Italy and then spreading to the rest of Europe.