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The Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez Llabrés, met in Warsaw on Tuesday with directors of Poland’s Fryderyk Chopin National Institute, strengthening a partnership that will bring a major Fryderyk Chopin and George Sand exhibition to Palma’s Bellver Castle in 2026. A new milestone in Palma’s cultural partnership with Poland The meeting, attended by Deputy Mayor and Culture Councillor Javier Bonet and Heritage Director Pilar Ribal, builds on a June 2025 collaboration agreement between the Chopin Institute and Palma City Council. The agreement aims to promote Chopin’s legacy and his historic connection to the Balearic capital. Among the proposals discussed was a large-scale Chopin and George Sand exhibition at Bellver Castle – the city’s iconic 14th-century fortress overlooking Palma Bay. The exhibition is scheduled to open in 2026, marking the 150th anniversary of George Sand’s death. Celebrating Chopin and Sand’s legacy in Mallorca French novelist and journalist George Sand, born Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin, travelled to Mallorca in October 1838 with Chopin, staying first in Palma and later in Valldemossa. Their stay inspired Sand’s famous memoir A Winter in Majorca (1842), which captured the beauty and hardship of their time on the island. Chopin composed several of his Preludes Op. 28 during that winter, leaving a lasting musical imprint on Mallorca’s cultural history. Future exhibitions and cultural projects planned Both institutions are now developing further artistic and musical collaborations, with announcements expected soon. Mayor Martínez stressed the importance of recognising historical figures who lived and created in Palma, confirming that Chopin and Sand will be featured in the upcoming City Interpretation Centre at Plaça Major. During the meeting, Andrzej Kosowski, Deputy Director of the Chopin Institute, also signed a manifesto supporting Palma’s bid for European Capital of Culture 2031, providing a significant boost to the city’s international cultural ambitions. Successful collaborations already underway Earlier this year, Palma hosted another Chopin-centric exhibition at the Palma Municipal Archive (Can Bordils) from June 19 to October 19 2025. The event was organised with the Archive of the Kingdom of Mallorca, Can Vivot Association, Lluís Alemany Library, and the Museum of Mallorca, alongside private collectors. The partnership also brought Chopin’s music to the island’s stages through four concerts, including performances at Bellver Castle, Can Balaguer, and the Xesc Forteza Municipal Theatre, featuring Polish pianists Mateusz Krzyżowski and Piotr Alexewicz. With a year-long programme of cultural exchanges already showing success, Palma’s collaboration with the Chopin Institute is set to deepen Mallorca’s historical and artistic connection to one of Europe’s greatest composers.
