Palma's Torres del Temple Become a Museum – A New Window into the City's History

Palma's Torres del Temple Become a Museum – A New Window into the City's History

Between town-hall bells and construction noise: how an old pair of towers is given new life

Anyone walking these days through the lanes around the Plaça Cort hears more than the usual cooing of pigeons: hammers, voices, the soft whirr of an elevator not yet in service. Between orange trees and the town hall rises the construction site of the Torres del Temple – a building with roots in the 12th century that is scheduled to open to visitors for the first time as a museum in spring 2026.

The city has taken on the project and invested around 2.4 million euros in the restoration. Mayor Jaime Martínez attended a tour of the work; together with city colleagues he reviewed the state of the restoration. The towers, once part of the fortified complex Gumara, underwent numerous alterations over the past centuries and long served as residential buildings. Before work began, specialists described a condition that had worsened over two decades – cracks, sections at risk of collapse, and neglected wood and stone structures; similar concerns were highlighted in reporting on other city monuments such as Collapse at Palma's City Wall: What Needs to Happen Now.

What looks different today is the result of careful craftsmanship. Specialists uncovered surprising finds during the interventions: original medieval wall paintings in one floor and wooden profiles in one of the oldest rooms. Many of the roughly 200-year-old wooden beams that were initially to be replaced proved to be of a quality that justified reuse; they were secured and integrated into the new construction. At the same time, arches, battlements and lintels were kept visible – elements intended to show visitors the layers of the building's history.

The exterior of the twin towers has gained a new face. The façade revision followed a design that visually unifies the towers and makes the former crenellated crown less prominent. The left tower, whose origin lies in the Moorish period, was largely preserved in its original form; the right tower underwent stronger interventions to address structural issues and to ensure a safe experience for users.

Inside, the concept favors restraint. New interventions – staircases, an elevator and reliable routes through the building – were placed so they do not overwhelm the historic character. The restoration aims to make traces of time readable: cracks, patina, layers of plaster and stone should tell visitors how the building developed and how the city changed.

The planned exhibition is conceived as a panorama: from ancient prehistoric life on the island to the medieval layers of Palma. The city intends to make the rooms accessible to the public and thus provide an additional offering for school groups, historical societies and tourists, complementing larger projects in Palma such as Palma plans a new exhibition center – will modernization and quality of life fit together?. Accessibility has been considered so that people with reduced mobility can also visit the building.

What this means for Palma is better understood in small scenes: on a gray morning light already filters through the scaffold sheeting, a worker wipes sweat from his brow, a student stops to take photos with her phone. Such glimpses of the work on the monument link the past with everyday life – and that may be the real gain. A museum in the old towers will not only display exhibits; it will be a place where neighbors, pupils and visitors can literally touch the city's history.

Those who pass by the Torres del Temple can look forward to a place that is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2026. It is a small but tangible promise: caring for one's old stones strengthens social bonds and creates space for encounters between generations. After work pauses, it is often the simple things – a reused row of ceiling beams, an uncovered wall painting – that tell stories. And those stories will soon be heard where once a gate to the city stood.