Church of San Felipe Neri

Right in the maze of streets in the centre of Palma, tucked between Calle Vilanova and the street that bears its own name, the Church of San Felipe Neri is one of those places of worship best sought out at a leisurely pace. Rather than dominating the skyline like other monuments in the city, it appears suddenly as you turn a corner, and therein lies much of its charm: it is a Baroque corner woven into the everyday life of the neighbourhood.

Its story begins in the late 16th century, when it was built for the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. The Trinitarians looked after it for some three centuries, so the building we see today is linked above all to that long period as a convent, during which the island experienced the flourishing of religious devotion typical of the early modern era.

The great change came in the 19th century, when the church passed to the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, known as the Oratorians. They gave it the name by which it is known today and remain responsible for it to this day, something rather unusual that lends it a singular continuity: more than a century in the same hands and in use as a place of worship.

For visitors, it fits nicely into a stroll around Palma's old town, alternating the major sights with churches on a more human scale like this one. It is worth taking a close look at the Baroque style of the building and letting yourself be drawn into the hushed atmosphere of the interior, a welcome counterpoint to the bustle of the nearby streets. Bear in mind that this is a working church, so it is wise to respect service times and to enter with the discretion the place calls for.