A court in Palma de Mallorca found in favour of the nuns, who had been in a dispute with the Bishop of Mallorca.

In 2014, the nuns abandoned the dilapidated building to move to a new one in central Mallorca. Javier Salinas, bishop at the time, registered the building in the name of the diocese, availing himself of a 1998 law that lets the Catholic church register properties that are related to religious practice – even without proof of ownership.

Each side has accused the other of planning to sell the building – which is in a prime location in Palma’s old town – to hotel groups. Matters came to a head in 2015 when the two sides confronted each another in the street after the nuns began moving some of the art from the building.

Pilar Rosello, the nuns’ lawyer, said the bishop was trying to “scam” the nuns with fraudulent certificates.