Photographer: Efraimstochter – CC0 Public Domain
Petra is an inland village situated between the Mallorcan plain and the Serres de Llevant range of hills. This is where the connection between Mallorca and California originates, with the two places brought together by the figure of Juníper Serra. This Franciscan monk, who was born in Petra in 1713, was head of the missions to higher and lower California, setting up ten missions which, over time, have become great cities within the US, such as San Francisco, San Diego, San Antonio de Padua, Santa Clara, etc. A figure of Juniper represents the state of California at the Capitol Building in Washington. In Petra, at number 6 on the street of Carrer Fra Juníper, is the Fra Juníper Serra Museum; next to the museum is the house in which Juníper Serra was born, which can also be visited and which is a good example of a typical humble villager´s house from the 17th and 18th centuries. The telephone number for the museum is: +34 971 561267.
The streets of Petra, which was founded in the year 1300 and which was populated as far back as prehistoric times, take us back to the Middle Ages. The Parish Church of Sant Pere is a Gothic-style building, although it took almost two centuries to build it from the time construction commenced in 1582. Inside the building there are altarpieces showing Renaissance and Baroque artistic styles, reflecting the period over which the church was built. The Convent of Sant Bernadí de Sena is Petra´s other outstanding building; it was built throughout the 17th century, but only the church and sacristy remain. Next to the sacristy there is a small exhibition of religious objects.