One of Bellver Castle’s peculiarities is that it is one of the few castles in Europe with a circular floor plan—and it is the oldest of those that share this feature. Its construction began in 1300 by order of Jaime II, King of Mallorca. It took ten years to build by some 2,000 workers and it was constructed in its own quarry, which sped up the process. The building, arranged around a central courtyard, has two levels. The ground floor has semi-circular arches and flat roofs whereas the upper floor features pointed arches and a ribbed vaulted ceiling in the purest Gothic style. The castle was conceived as a royal residence. The three kings of Mallorca resided there for short periods of time (Jaime II, Sancho I and Jaime III).