Ibiza's Captivating Catherdrals

Five of the most beautiful places of worship on the island of Ibiza. 

Ibiza Catherdral, san jordi, santa eulalia, san antonio, es cubells

Ibiza Catherdral

The grand Santa María Cathedral in Ibiza was built in the early 13th century and stands in the historic part of Ibiza. Highlights include a museum, chapels, a tall bell tower and a holy cross made from gold and silver over 600 years ago. Mass is celebrated at the Cathedral of Santa Maria de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows) every Sunday and the cathedral is located in the Dalt Vila area of Ibiza, where it is without doubt the most impressive building.
Church open: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 13:00
Church admission: free

This summit has been used for worship for 2 millennia.  carhaginian and roman temples, a moor mosque

at the top of the city is the Castle and Cathedral de Santa Maria with impressive gothic architecture it was built sometime between the 14th-16th century, over an Arab mosque, then renovated in the 18th century.  Illuminated at night it is quite spectacular to look at. 

church of sant jordi ses salines

This temple was built to meet the spiritual needs of the people working in Ses Salines salt ponds. It is believed to have been built before 1577. Its load-bearing walls are oblique and its battlements stress the fact that it was used as a fortification where the locals hid whenever the pirates assaulted the village. The lateral chapels were erected in the XVIII century, when the church was not used for defensive purposes anymore. the retable of the high alter was added in 1990 and is made from pieces from other holy places.believe that there was a church in this location as early as the 14th Century. From 1577 onwards it was expanded into a fortified church. The last defensive weapons were removed in 1869.
A special attribute of this church are the burial chambers discovered beneath the church during excavations. It seems that village residents were buried there Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday from 6-8:30pm - Saturday also from 10am-1pm
Mass: Sundays and holidays at 11am and 8 pm

Santa eulalia

From the church hill the visitor's eyes pass over the blue sea, the narrow coastal strip of land and the old vaulted bridge over the Rio de Santa Eulària. There are green meadows and deep red fields. Pine tree covered hills form the backdrop in the distance. Numerous flights of steps up the hill and narrow paths take the visitor to the church and cemetery. The vicarage garden is dominated by a fig tree, rosemary bushes and prickly pears. Next to the vicarage rises the massive semi-circular tower constructed of rough-hewn brown stone. Puig de Missa, a fortified church, seems as impregnable as ever.

San antonio

The ravages of wind and weather have not been able to harm this ancient building: its massive stone walls still look impregnable in the 21st century. There are embrasures all over the warlike tower and along the nave. How many bullets may have been fired from here at corsairs and other enemies of the Spanish crown? There must have been countless pirate ships and Moorish vessels that anchored in Sant Antoni's harbour in the course of the centuries, to rob, plunder and hunt for people to be sold as slaves. If the stones of the old church could speak, what exciting stories they would be able to tell!  When you pass through the main entrance watch out for the deep hollows on either side of the massive wooden door: they used to take the ends of a solid beam of Sabina wood to bolt the door, thus turning it into a well-nigh insurmountable obstacle. If you look up from the entrance area you'll see a square opening overhead which was part of a defensive technique as simple as it was effective: as soon as unwelcome visitors were attempting to force open the door, the defenders would throw stones on their heads, or pour down boiling oil.

The interior of the church was equally well designed for defensive warfare, as there are galleries running along either side of the nave, protected by a parapet with embrasures to facilitate shooting without being a target oneself. Sant Antoni's fortress church is one of the few places of worship that remained practically unharmed during the Civil War years (1936-9). The greater part of the parish records are still intact, and most of the church's treasures have survived. The reason for this is that "...the then mayor arranged for the altar and statues of saints to be taken down and stored in safe places.  The perfectly preserved wall tiles, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, testify that there has indeed been no fire to damage the nave's interior since then.The parish library, with its collection of beautifully bound antique books, probably originating from the library of the Dominican friars in Dalt Vila, is a pleasant surprise. It contains theological tomes, volumes on historical and mathematical subjects, and a collection of dictionaries printed between the 17th and 19th centuries.


Es cubells

The Church of Es Cubells was originally built in the 19th Century as a chapel for the local farmers and fishermen. It stands on a cliff high above the sea, and on a clear day the views extend to Formentera Island. Near the church is a monument to Father Palau i Quer, the Carmelite priest who initiated its construction.

• Application form
• Birth Certificate
• Proof that both parties are free to marry
• Divorce/Annulment Certificate of any previous marriages.
• Certificate of Residence. If not a permanent resident in Spain, you can sign an affidavit before a Consular Officer indicating your place of residence for the last 6 years, as well as your temporary residence in Spain.
• Posting of Banns (a public declaration of intent to marry)
• Certificate of Consular Inscription