Mare de Déu dels Àngels

Patrona de Pollença (Mallorca) · the Moors and Christians

Patrona de Pollença, the Mare de Déu dels Ángels is the heart of one of the most vibrant parties in Mallorca: the simulation of Moros and Christians of August 2, which recalls the victory over the pirate Dragut.

Origin and history

After the conquest of Majorca by Jaume I, the church of Pollença was founded in 1236, just seven years later, and was given to the Templars as a reward for their help; since then the parish has owned the Mare de Déu dels Ángels. The original medieval temple is not preserved, but the apvocation has always been that of the people.

The Festes de la Patrona commemorate the victory of the Pollencins over the attack of pirate Dragut on the night of 30 to 31 May 1550, linked to the liturgical day of the Mare de Déu dels Ángels, to whom the people have as protector. The climax, on August 2, is the simulation of Moros and Christians, in which Christian leader Joan Mas invokes the Virgin in the midst of combat; the day opens in the early morning with the emotional "Alborada" and culminates in the solemn mass.

Canonical coronation: not found in the sources.