The Balearic capital has catalogued more than 70 emblematic establishments to enhance its commercial heritage.
Bakeries that are more than a hundred years old, jewellery stores, shoe shops where the craft has been handed down from generation to generation, etc. All are authentic shops where know-how and personal treatment are guaranteed in local businesses that have been contributing to the creation of a model for society for years. Palma is full of these emblematic businesses which have become a draw for urban tourists visiting the city who are looking for an authentic destination with a strong identity.
For some years now, Palma City Council has been working to protect these businesses and keep their business activity alive, and for this to happen it’s launched the Catalogue of Emblematic Establishments in Palma, an initiative that allows them to be identified, catalogued, protected and valued.
To be included in the directory, businesses must meet specific requirements. They must be in business for more than 75 years, located in a recognised singular building and be involved in an activity related to Balearic identity.
Those on the list include, among others, establishments like Alpargatería La Concepción, a shoe shop that’s been selling espadrilles and other traditional footwear from the island since the 1940s, the Colmado la Montaña, which has been selling cheese, cold cuts, tinned foods and other typical Majorcan products for 77 years, and the Forn La Mallorquina, a bakery located in a modernist building which opened in 1894.
In total, there are more than 70 establishments in the directory, including wine shops, bakeries, cafés, shoe shops, grocery stores, jewellers, glassworks, etc. all specialised shops that reflect the history and identity of the Balearic capital.
Different initiatives have been set up to make them more well known, including a travelling exhibition which includes images/photos from all the establishments/shops, a catalogue that compiles them, and soon, a book will be published to allow visitors located them and find out about the history of each one of them. A past history that’s part of Palma’s present.
