
At the end of the 19th century, the village of Pont d’Inca already had more than 400 inhabitants. Even so, it did not have its own church, which is why the inhabitants of Pont d’Inca had to go to mass, first to Sant Llatzet and then to Pla de na Tesa. The church of Pont d’Inca was born out of this need. The rapid demographic growth of the town – especially due to the progressive settlement of warehouses and industries near the city, as well as the access by road and railway from 1875 onwards – made it necessary to set up a provisional oratory a year before its construction, in 1889, at the now disappeared flour mill of Pont d’Inca, at that time the tallest building in Mallorca. Several celebrations were even held in the waiting room of the train station.


Very soon, in 1890, the construction of the present church began. For its construction, the Bishopric and the Town Hall had bought a plot of land from the Cals Enagistes estate, where the central part was occupied by the parish church and the square. The project was the work of Pere de Alcàntara Peña, with later intervention by the architect Gaspar Bennàssar. It is dedicated to the Mallorcan saints Alonso Rodríguez and Catalina Tomàs – patron saint of Pont d’Inca – and to Blessed Ramon Llull. One of the most outstanding aspects, as was usual in the construction of almost all the parishes in Marratxí, was the collaboration and contribution of the parishioners, as the works were financed by donations. It was due to a lack of economic resources that construction was halted for a time.
In terms of architecture, it is a neo-medievalist style church, as it is an imitation of the styles used in medieval times. In this particular case, we find references to the Romanesque and Gothic styles, as well as to the modern period, such as Baroque. Of the six existing chapels, the chapel of Sant Jaume and the images of the Virgin Mary stand out, works by the sculptor Francesc Salvà, who worked all his life in sculpture, mainly religious, with more than 200 works made, and who was also remembered for altruistically teaching many fans about painting and sculpture.
Also, noteworthy is the carving of Christ Crucified, from the old oratory of Sant Llatzet. On the other hand, on the façade of the vicarage, dating from 1947, there are two sundials with the usual Latin inscriptions about the passing of time, the need to make the most of it and people’s vanity. “TARDO VENIENTIBUS OSA” – To those who arrive late, the bears – possibly by the classical poet Prudenci, and “SOL ME OS UMBRA REGIDO” – The sun guides me, to you the shadows – by the poet Horace, are the two sentences that can be seen in the corner. According to the sundial catalogue, both clocks date from 1950.


The figure of the parish church has undoubtedly also contributed to strengthening the feeling of belonging and creating links between the community, as well as the division and internal organization of the municipality. These buildings constituted a network, since institutions such as the church were able to go where the public administration could not reach.