The Sanctuary of San Salvador, just 5 minutes from downtown, is the most important and emblematic architectural ensemble of one of the most charming towns of the island. Next to the walled enclosure and dependencies of Es Donat, which is a building of the sixteenth century in which lived the person responsible for watching over the dependencies, we found the Sanctuary, a Renaissance church with a Latin cross, without any apse and vaulted with a ceiling canon.

The architectural complex is located atop a hill overlooking the valley, protected by a beautiful fortified elliptical wall. But before getting to it, you have to climb 180 steps. As they say, every effort has its reward, and in this case, the reward is being able to enjoy sublime views from the top of the entire municipality of Artá.
A little history about Santuario de San Salvador

A little history about the sanctuary of San Salvador

According to historians, the first news we have of this fantastic building dates from the Muslim era, where a fortification was located. Later, with the Reconquista of King James I the fortress passed into Christian hands that quickly discovered the strategic importance of this building, and it was often a refuge for the population to the continuous attacks of pirates and privateers. Throughout the centuries it has undergone minor changes and in 1967, thanks to the Sociedad Amigos de los Castillos society, the last restoration was performed allowing us to know this building at its best.

A cultural tour of the northeast of Mallorca

If you like history, and you want to spend a morning or afternoon to do some cultural tourism, we recommend a route in the northeast of Mallorca, from the Castillo de Capdepere castle, one of the main tourist attractions of the place, visiting the town and from there, move to the town of Arta and enjoy the fortified complex and the Sanctuary of San Salvador.