Be buried in the Cathedral: columbariums from 3,000 euros in the crypt

PalmStoring ashes in Palma Cathedral is now possible starting at €3,000. The Cathedral has launched a columbarium service located in the crypt beneath the presbytery, allowing the remains of the deceased to be kept in a sacred space in the heart of Palma. Two options are available, with 25-year renewable concessions. Specifically, the institution offers two types of spaces: the dual columbarium, with capacity for two urns and a cost of €3,000, and the family columbarium, with capacity for four urns and a price of €5,000. Thus, ashes can be stored in the Cathedral starting at €3,000.

The service is located in a space considered sacred, in the heart of the Cathedral, and has a total of 155 columbariums. The facilities opened in January 2023 with the aim of providing an alternative for the safekeeping of ashes in a religious setting. Access to the columbariums is available on Saturdays, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and also on special dates such as All Souls' Day, November 2nd, when the hours are extended from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, always by appointment. This initiative is based on the Christian tradition of keeping human remains in consecrated places, a practice that, according to current ecclesiastical regulations, recommends keeping ashes in specific spaces and not scattering them. Columbariums originated in ancient Roman funerary buildings, where urns were arranged in niches in the walls, an arrangement reminiscent of a dovecote, which gives this type of space its name.

With this service, the Cathedral of Mallorca joins other churches that offer columbariums to the State, such as the cathedrals of Vitoria and San Sebastián, and opens the possibility of storing ashes in a religious setting within the Christian community of the island.

Columbariums at the Cathedral

Regarding sales, the columbarium niches are offered under a renewable 25-year concession agreement, which can be contracted by family members during their lifetime or posthumously. Once the concession period ends, there are two options: renew the contract or reclaim the remains. If neither of these options is chosen, the remains will be placed in a common grave. Access to the crypt is by appointment only, every Saturday of the year, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and also on November 2nd, All Souls' Day, with extended hours. Urns may be provided by family members as long as they do not exceed the established dimensions (30x30x30 cm). The columbarium niches are registered with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.