16th century; he may also have been the master of Bonifazio. His earlier works betray the influence of the Bellini; but modifying his style from the study of Giorgione and Titian, Palma took high rank among those painters of the distinctively Venetian type who remain a little below the leading masters. For richness of colour he is hardly to be surpassed; but neither in invention nor vigorous draughtsmanship does he often attain any peculiar excellence. A face frequently seen in his pictures is that of his (so-called) daughter Violante, of whom Titian was said to be enamoured. Two works by Palma are more particularly celebrated. The first is a composition of six paintings in the Venetian church of S. Maria Formosa, with St Barbara in the centre, under the dead Christ, and to right and left SS. Dominic, Sebastian, John Baptist and Anthony. The second work is in the Dresden Gallery, representing three sisters seated in the open air; it is frequently named "The Three Graces." A third fine work, discovered in Venice in 1900, is a portrait supposed to represent Violante. Other leading examples are: the "Last Supper," in S. Maria Mater Domini; a "Madonna," in the church of S. Stefano in Vicenza; the "Epiphany," in the Brera of Milan; the "Holy Family, with a young shepherd adoring," in the Louvre; "St Stephen and other Saints," "Christ and the Widow of Nain," and the "Assumption of the Virgin," in the Academy of Venice; and "Christ at Emmaus," in the Pitti Gallery. The beautiful portrait of the National Gallery, London, with a background of foliage, originally described as "Ariosto" and as by Titian, and now re ascribed to that master, was for some years assumed to be an unknown poet by Palma Vecchio. It is certainly much more like the work of Titian than of Palma. In 1907 the Staedel Institute in Frankfort acquired an important work by Palma Vecchio, identified by its director as an illustration of Ovid's second Metamorphosis, and named "Jupiter and Calisto."
Palma's grand-nephew, Palma Giovane, was also named Jacopo (1544 to about 1626). His works belong to the decline of Venetian art. (W. M. R.)
PALMA, or Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Spanish province of the Balearic Islands, the residence of a captain general, an episcopal see, and a flourishing seaport, situated 135 m. S.S.E. of Barcelona, on the south-west coast of Majorca, at the head of the fine Bay of Palma, which stretches inland for about 10 m. between Capes Cala Figuera and Regana. Pop. (1900), 63,9371 including a colony of Jews converted to Christianity (Chuetas). Palma is the meeting place of all the highways in the island, and the terminus of the railway to Inca, Manacor, and Alcudia. The ramparts, which enclose the city on all sides except towards the port (where they were demolished in 1872), have a circuit of a little more than 4 m. Though begun in 1562, they were not finished till 1836. Palma underwent considerable change in the 19th century, and the fine old-world Moorish character of the place suffered accordingly. The more conspicuous buildings are the cathedral, the exchange, the royal palace, now occupied by the captain-general, and the law courts, the episcopal palace, a handsome late Renaissance building (1616), the general hospital (1456), the town-house (end of the 16th century), the picture gallery, and the college. The church of San Francisco is interesting for the tomb of Raimon Lull, a native of Palma. The cathedral was erected and dedicated to the Virgin by King James I. of Aragon as he sailed to the conquest of Majorca; but, though founded in 1230, it was not finished till 1601. The older and more interesting portions are the royal chapel (1232), with the marble sarcophagus of James II. (d. 1311) which was erected here in 1770; and the south front with the elaborately-sculptured doorway known as del mirador (1389). The exchange (lonja), a Gothic building begun in 1426, excited the admiration of the emperor Charles V. Palma has a seminary founded in 1700, a collection of archives dating from the 14th century, a school and museum of fine arts, a nautical school and an institute founded in 1836 to replace the old university (1503).
The harbour, formed by a mole constructed to a length of 387 yds. in the 14th century and afterwards extended to more than 650 yds., has been greatly improved since 1875 by dredging and a further addition to the mole of 136 yds. Previously it was not accessible to vessels drawing more than 18 ft. Palma has frequent and regular communication by steamer with Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante, Puertopi, about 2 m. south-west of the city, was once a good harbour, but is now fit only for small craft. Palma has a thriving trade in grain, wine, oil, almonds, fruit, vegetables, silk, foodstuffs and livestock. There are manufactures of alcohol, liqueurs, chocolate, starch, sugar, preserves, flour, soap, leather, earthenware, glass, matches, paper, linen, woollen goods and rugs.
Palma probably owes, if not its existence, at least its name (symbolized on the Roman coins by a palm branch), to Metellus Balearicus, who in 123 B.C. settled three thousand Roman and Spanish colonists on the island. The bishopric dates from the 14th century. About 1 m. south-west of Palma is the castle of Bellver or Belbez, the ancient residence of the kings of Majorca. Miramar, the beautiful country seat of the archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria, is 12 m. north of Palma.
PALMA, or San Miguel de la Palma, a Spanish island in the Atlantic Ocean, forming part of the Canary Islands (q.v.). Pop. (1900), 41,994; area 280 sq. m. Palma is 26 m, long, with an extreme breadth of 16 m. It lies 67 m. W.N.W. of Teneriffe. It is traversed from north to south by a chain of mountains, the highest of which is 7900 ft. above sea-level. At the broadest part is a crater 9 m. in diameter, known as the Caldera (i.e. cauldron). The bottom of the crater has an elevation of 2300 ft., and it is overhung by peaks that rise more than 5000 ft. above it. Palma contains several mineral springs, but there is great want of fresh water. The only stream which is never dried up is that which issues from the Caldera. In 1677 an eruption, preceded by an earthquake, took place from a volcano at the southern extremity of the island, and much damage was done. Santa Cruz de la Palma (pop. 7024) on the eastern coast is the principal town. The anchorage is good.
PALM BEACH, a winter resort on the east coast of Florida,
U.S.A., in Palm Beach county, about 264 m. S. of St Augustine;
served by the Florida East Coast railway. It is situated on a
peninsula (about 30 m. long and 1 m. wide) separated from the
mainland by Lake Worth, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, and
derives its name from the groves of coco-nut palms which fringe
the lake. The coco-nut was introduced here by chance, through
the wrecking, off the coast, in January 1879, of a coco-nut-laden
Spanish vessel. The Gulf Stream is within about 1 m. of the
shore, and the climate is mild and equable, the winter temperature
normally ranging between 70° and 75° F. On the Atlantic
is the Breakers, a large hotel, and facing Lake Worth is the Royal
Poinciana, the largest hotel in the southern states. Palm Beach
has few permanent residents and is not incorporated. On the
mainland just across the lake is the city of West Palm Beach
(pop. in 1905, state census, 1280), a pleasure resort
and the county-seat of Palm Beach county (created in 1909).
PALM-CIVET, or Paradoxure, the name of the members
of the civet-like genus Paradoxurus, represented by several species
mainly from south-east Asia. (See Carnivora.) Palm-civets
are mostly about the size of the domestic cat, or rather larger,
chiefly arboreal in habits, with dark uniform, spotted or striped
fur. The common Indian palm-civet (P. niger) ranges throughout
India, wherever there are trees, frequently taking up its
abodes in roof-thatch. Its diet consists of small mammals
and reptiles, birds and their eggs, fruit and vegetables. From
four to six young are brought forth at a litter, and are easily
tamed. Other species are the Ceylonese P. aureus, the brown
P. jerdoni, the Himalayan P. grayi and the Malayan P. Hermaphroditus.
The small-toothed palm-civets, from the Malay
Archipelago, Sumatra and Java, have been separated from the
typical group to form the genus Arctogale. In Africa the group
is represented by two species of Nandinia, which show several
primitive characters.
PALMELLA, a town of Portugal, in the district of Lisbon (formerly included in the province of Estremadura); at the north-eastern extremity of the Serra da Arrabida, and on the Lisbon-Setubal railway. Pop. (1900), inclusive of the neighbouring
