Alaró Castle)—And Puig Millions of Tons of Rock

Alaró and its 1 geography

The geography of a region intimately linked to the background of its people. In this case, it oﬀers us the keys we need to understand the events that took place in the area: Alaró cannot be understood without first understanding its terrain.

he municipality of mountain valley that Alaró is situated on opens up towards the Tthe southern southeast and melds into foothills of the Serra de a plain. Tramuntana mountain There are two distinct range. The seemingly mountains that character - tranquil rise of the moun - ize the municipality Puig tains is the result of a vio - d’Alaró (Alaró Peak; lent series of layers being 822m)—which is also forced and compressed known as Castell d’Alaró upon even more layers of (Alaró Castle)—and Puig millions of tons of rock. de s’Alcadena (s’Alcadena The municipalities nes - Peak; 815m). The position tled along the southern of these two land mases base of this mountain creates an optical illusion: range make up the county its distinct silhouette it appears as if a mirror is known as Raiguer. which is defined, in part, reflecting the image of The municipality of by the Serra de Tra - one or the other along a Alaró is characterized by muntana , but also by the longitudinal knife’s edge

1 which is where the tor - rent de Solleric flows. It is certainly one of the more notable images in the en - tire county. Th e municipality itself covers 4,570 hectares and is bordered by Escorca, Mancor, Lloseta, Binissalem, Consell, Santa Maria, and Buny - ola. The large number of neighboring municipalities is due in part to the elongated shape of Alaró, which extends from the mountains into the valley below, and also to the an - cient breaking-up of the districts of Canarossa and Qanarûsha thanks to the ter and more arable lands dominated by almond or - land distribution that to the south where the chards, and carob and took place after the con - historic center of the town olive groves. quest led by James I. of Alaró is located—al - The water though part of the urban Towns and communi - growth does ties have always been set cling to the up around possible water skirts of the supplies. The expansion rugged of cities, or lack thereof, mountain - can be explained by look - ous terrain ing at hydrography. The to the Ses Artigues and Sa Basti - north. da springs have been known since ancient Holm oak times, and many texts de - and pine scribe their location and groves as well as scrub - even their flow rates. The mountains define a lands still make up the Water from these springs large part of the munici - forest fauna in the area, was once used for human pality, but it is in the flat - while cultivated lands are consumption, for water -

2 Another legend, from another era, The witches of tells of the witches that quietly trav- elled the world. All of them that came s’Alcadena and near Alaró would meet up on Saturday nights on the top of s’Alcadena Peak el Castell and Alaró Castle. They would take hese two very similar peaks (Alaró thread with them, and they would Castle and S’Alcadena Peak) are stretch it out into a bridge across the Tseemingly inaccessible due to the two mountains. From there, they would tall rocky cliﬀ faces that surround them. drop down and perform unspeakable This has been the cause of much folk- acts of sorcery until sunrise, when they lore. One legend tells that the horse of would return like owls to their caves or king James I jumped up to the castle hideouts. gates and left his footprints on the Rondallas mallorquinas (in English: Major - rocks from where he took oﬀ. can Tales), compilation by Jordi d’es Racó (Fa - ther Antoni Maria Alcover). Volume V.

ing crops, and as a source today it is al - of energy for the mills lo - most exclusively cated along waterways. used for water - But times have changed, ing crops. and the waters from mu - nicipal springs have been Other springs diverted through canals have turned to or have been bottled to be bottling water, sold. Now the water sup - too. In 1964, fa - plied to the general popu - cilities were lation is extracted from built to sell the wells. Management of the water from the font de ses Artigues (Ses font de sa Basti - Artigues Spring) is in the de Regants ), and al - da (Sa Bastida Spring; hands of the Irrigation though it once provided 335 L/hr), and since Association ( Comunitat water for a variety of uses, 1988, water from font

3 Sorda (Sorda Spring; 2,100 L/hr) on the son Cocó grounds in the Clot d’Al - madrà (Almadrà depression) has been bottled and sold.

The weather

As with the rest of the island, the climate in Alaró is nothing less than Mediterranean. There are both seasonal and dry hot summers. cooler temperatures of rains—around 40% of all The average annual tem - the sea. precipitation falls during perature is around 15ºC, the autumn—and irregu - with summer maximums Language dialect lar rains from year to averaging 30ºC and win - year. Levels of precipita - ter minimums averaging The Catalan dialect spo - tion increase as one ap - 6ºC. These clement tem - ken in Alaró, along with proaches the mountains. peratures are partly Binissalem and Lloseta, Thus, Alaró registers, on caused by the sea that has a peculiar feature: average, 800 mm of an - surrounds the island. The speakers tend to change nual rainfall in higher Mediterranean ensures the neutral “e” [∂] into an areas, while lower areas mild winters, and in the open “e” [ ε]. This charac - see an average of 600 summer provides the teristic can also be found mm. During cold winters embat —fresh sea breezes in Central Catalan, East - this precipitation occa - that blow inland from the ern Minorcan, and Ibizan. sionally falls as snow. sea thanks to the con - The temperate climate trasting warm tempera - produces mild winters tures of the land and the

4 The roots 2 of Alaró

Portrayal of the martyrdom of Cabrit and Bassa, by Miquel Bestard (Palma Town Hall)

here is some contro - and historian Al- zuhr î the island was conquered versy regarding the (12 th century ) describes in the time of Muham - Torigin of the name the Byzantine resistance mad, got strong in this “Alaró.” Various authors against the Muslims in a fortress during the eight seem unable to reach a large fortress in the year years and five months fol - consensus. An etymologi - 903. He calls these fight - lowing the conquest. No - cal search for the word led ers “ Hisn al’-r ûm” or body could do anything linguists Antoni Maria Al - “Hisn Alarum ”: the old against them, only a lack cover and Francesc de Christians in the castle. of provisions forced them Borja Moll to consider the to leave. place name “llurone,” Al-Zuhr î (12 th century) which is believed to be of recounts the fall of Alaró This fortification rises French origin but was castle: up on the top of a moun - Latinized to “Oloron” and On this island there is a tain of hard stone where eventually became great fortress built on a there is a plentiful spring. “Alaró.” However, an An - place that is high and bar - dalusian tale seems to re - ren; it is unlike any other The village’s first fute this theory. Among place in the populated inhabitants the texts that recount the world. It is known by the conquest of the islands by name Hisn Alarum. There The first signs of early the Arabs, the geographer are Majorcans who, when settlements in the munici - 5 pality of Alaró are in the Talayots, both from the able as it is covered by a form of Talayotic build - Iron Age. The first is in a pile of stones (commonly ings. The Talayotic cul - good state of conservation called “ clapers ”) taken ture was present in Ma - even though it is covered from the surrounding jorca from the Iron Age to with vegetation. It has a area for future use. The the Roman conquests of trapezoidal floor that is 9 chamber is inaccessible 123 AD. These structures, because the called Talayots, are char - roof has col - acterized by the building lapsed. technique used to make The them, which involves a frame of the series of interlinked building is stones one on top of the made up of other without the use of large irregu - mortar to join them. The lar blocks name comes from the that seem term “atalaya” which not to have means watchtower, as been al - many of the structures tered. They were located in defensive are crudely positions or in places that layered to - served as vantage points. gether These structures are also which believed to have been Claper des Gegant seems to in - used for ceremonies or dicate that residences because, as by 11 meters, and it is 4.5 they were taken from the with many ancient build - meters tall. The linteled area near the Talayot and ings, the doorway is doorway faces south and that not too much work aligned with some star or is intact, although it does went into its construction. constellation that was sig - show signs of stress and nificant to people in those wear. The inside of the Bànyols ( Puig de days. Talayot is obstructed but s’Apit In Alaró many Talayot - apparently not due to a ic sites have been found in collapse. Rather, it seems This is another circular various states of conser - that a wall was built to Talayot made up of large vation. The remnants of close it off. The second crudely worked, inter - many of these sites are lo - structure has a round linked stones. One stone cated on private proper - floor, and only the first measures 2.5 meters in ties, but they have been row of stone is left stand - length, 1.4 meters in designated as Bé d’Interès ing. To everyone’s sur - height, and at least 1.1 Cultural (BIC; in English: prise, an electricity pole meters in width. While goods of cultural interest), has been erected inside. this talayot is presently which allows them to be isolated, it is impossible visited as long as it has S’Alcadena or es to determine whether or been authorized before - Claper des Gegant not there were other hand. The legal recogni - structures nearby as the tion as a BIC is the high - This is an oval-shaped land on which it is situat - est level of protection that mountain Talayot that is ed has been divided many can be afforded to cultural about 8 meters in diame - times and heavily used. It assets. The archeological ter and almost 3 meters is situated on the eastern sites, which are listed tall. Strangely, it is isolat - slope of s’Apit Peak, and it hereafter, were declared ed on a high plateau of measures 11 meters in di - BICs in 1966: the s’Alcadena estate. Its ameter. Its current maxi - doorway, which faces the mum height reaches 3.3 Es Pic ó and Son southeast, looks directly meters. The doorway can - Palou over the valley situated not be seen, and the main below. One side of the chamber has been walled This is a group of two structure is unrecogniz - off by a collapse.

6 Can Cabrit or s’ Era roof. On its western side attest to this. The ruins Vella there is a third building, there serve as a reminder and in the vicinity there of their ancient (4 th and In this area there are are other prehistoric 5th century) use as late the remains of a Talayotic structures in an advanced Roman defensive posi - town, and its largest fea - state of ruin. On the far tions. tures are two circular southern side of the town From the centuries that structures and another there is a cir - two rectangular struc - cular Talayot tures. It is likely that if ex - that is about 11 cavations were to be car - meters in di - ried out, other similar ameter. It constructions would be seems possible found nearby. Of the that in ancient group, the best preserved times both of Talayot is one that is rec - these villages tangular and measures 10 were one. by 11 meters. Other struc - tures are located on the eastern and southern fac - Barbarians ing sides of the site. Even and more Talayots can be Byzantines found in the surrounding area, but they are in an The occupa - advanced state of ruin. tion of Majorca, A view of Alaró from Sa Bastida On Puig de Can Cabrit and invariably of (Can Cabrit Peak), the re - Alaró, has been constant. followed the fall of the mains of a second Talay - Alaró served as an excep - Roman Empire, no ele - otic village have been tional defensive position ments that reference the found. The most well pre - thanks to the mountain - Vandal invasion and later served structure is rectan - ous backdrop of the Tra - settlement of the Genseric gular and measures 10.4 muntana mountain range. Kingdom from Africa (5 th by 11 meters. Its maxi - For a long time, this safe - century) have survived. mum height is 2.2 meters. guarded the various peo - The remains housed in The doorway is unrecog - ple that lived there. Alaró Castle are silent wit - nizable, and the main The sites located near nesses of what transpired chamber is inaccessible the craggy cliffs of Sa in the 600s in Majorca. due to the collapse of the Bastida and Alaró Castle By the late 7 th century, the Arabs controlled North Africa, and in 707 they made their first land - ing on the island. But it was not until 902-903 that the Muslim conquest fully came to Majorca, even though it was al - ready within the realm of the Byzantine empire and paid taxes to Cordoba. It was at this time that the geographer Al-Zuhri made reference to the eight-year siege carried out against the fortress in Alaró. One of the most impor - Remains of the wall of the fortress from Sa Bastida tant features that remains

7 from the Arab reign in Alaró is the qanat or font de Ses Artigues , an an - cient well-like vertical shaft that drew its supply from underground water.

Conquest and Repopulation

The conquest of Major - ca by James I the Con - queror and his troops was framed as a crusade against the infidels, even though the main motiva - The main gate to Alaró Castle tion behind it was, as with any invasion, economic. As long it was successful, Catalan prelates and mag - of vital importance for the retaking of Majorca nates, other communities many centuries. Its would translate into rich - from Provence (France) proverbial invincibility es and land for the king as and Liguria (Italy) also ensured that whoever well as for the noblemen participated, as did the held the fortress would be involved, and of course, cities of Tortosa, Tarrago - able to hold out a final re - na, and Barcelona, which sistance in the case that a were most affected by the new attack on Majorca pirates’ looting. were to take place. On September 5, 1229, James I sealed Major - a massive fleet set sail ca’s destiny with a few ac - from Catalonia towards tions that would deter - Majorca with more than mine the rest of its histo - 155 ships, 800 knights, ry: the founding of a king - and thousands of soldiers dom with its own institu - under the command of tions, the “ Repartiment ” James I. On December 31, or distribution of lands 1229, the capital Medina (division among mag - Mayurqa fell, and with it, nates that was agreed a large part of the resist - upon before the conquest ance on the island. and was proportional to Jaume I the Conqueror In the mountainous their military and finan - areas a kind of guerrilla cial contributions to the power and prestige for the warfare prolonged the campaign), the repopula - conquistadores. war until 1232, and given tion (creation of settle - Furthermore, while the the difficulty involved ments with new inhabi - islands were under Mus - with taking the rocky tants in Muslim farm - lim control, the waters fortress, king James I did lands), and the Christian - and coastlines of the not try to take Alaró Cas - ization of the people. western Mediterranean tle until his second expe - With the division of were unsafe for Christian dition in 1231. It was not lands in Alaró, it became vessels, as they were sub - until this and the other part of the Canarossa dis - ject to constant pirate at - fortifications overlooking trict, whose lord was Vis - tacks. So, merchants Felanitx and Pollença count of Bearn. could also benefit from were taken that the con - In his will, James I dis - the campaign as it would quest of Majorca could be tributed lands among his set up safe zones in the considered complete. children, and the King - area. And so the legend sur - dom of Majorca was Although the conquest rounding the castle was passed on to James II. In was sustained by the forged; it continued to be the year 1285, Alfonso III

8 And that is exactly what he did. When The legend of the fortress finally fell, the two were Cabrit and Bassa burned to death over coals and on a grill. In 1285, the troops of Peter III set sail Pope Honorius IV threatened to ex - from the Catalan coast under the com - communicate the King of Aragon for his mand of his son Alfonso III. After reach - cruelty, and in response to Alfonso’s plea ing Majorca and hearing of the death of for mercy, the pope ordered that he re - his father, the young turn the Kingdom of Majorca to his king set out to con - uncle, the original quer. Alfonso’s troops owner. The kingdom seized Palma on No - was eventually given to vember 19, 1285, and James II by the son of took over the rest of Alfonso of Aragon years the island, except for later. Alaró Castle. We do not know the The entire Kingdom backgrounds of the two of Majorca was over - heroes in this story, but taken by king Alfonso, it is clear that they were but a lone castle not mere soldiers called Alaró refused to guarding the castles. yield. The young king Rather, they were ar - marched to the castle dent supporters of and ordered the de - James II of Majorca. In fenders to surrender. the Cathedral of Palma One of them said, an altarpiece was built “Who demands that in honor of the Most we turn over the cas - Holy Virgin Mary and All tle?” To which the king Saints, listed among replied, “I am Alfonso, them are the names of King of Aragon and of Majorca.” Incredu - Cabrit and Bassa as martyred saints. On lously, the defender responded, “We the Sunday following All Saints’ Day, know no king but king James, to whom their deeds are commemorated in a we have sworn and will keep our loyalty, mass at the cathedral. The martyrs’ re - and anfós is what we eat for dinner.” mains are kept in the Chapel of Our (Anfós in English means grouper, the Lady of Piety, save two of their ribs fish, but sounds like the name Alfons which were taken to the Oratori de la which is Catalan for Alfonso). Alfonso Verge del Refugi (Oratory of the Virgin of answered, “What is the name of he who the Refuge) in Alaró Castle and placed in speaks?” To which the soldier respond - a nave where they can be viewed. ed, “My name is Cabrit and my friend is The Majorcan population revered Bassa.” Then, king Alfonso said, “It is fit - them as the perfect example of honor, ting that you are named cabrito (goat), remaining loyal to one’s oath, and even because it is like a cabrito that I will roast as saints until well into the 17 th century. you over the fire!”

of Aragon, nephew of the can settlements when he fortress, Alfonso III was magnate, wanted to take set off toward Alaró Cas - met with the resistance of the island, so he began an tle. It was here that both Alaró residents Guillem attack using his father’s history and legend met, as Cabrit and Guillem Bassa troops. He had nearly the passing centuries have who barricaded them - reached his goal after re - blurred the lines between selves in the castle in the ceiving an oath of alle - fact and fiction. name of the true King of giance from many Major - Upon arriving to the Majorca. They refused to

9 give in to the authority of Davall neighborhood Majorca, which was hit the new king. In the end, grew along the irrigation hard by the plague. The the fortress was taken, canals that ran down 1652 epidemic spread and Cabrit and Bassa from Ses Artigues. This across Majorca, but it was were captured and area was created and re - especially cruel in Alaró, burned to death in the mained separated from resulting in 360 deaths. plaça de Los Damunt . the Los Damunt neigh - This tragedy awakened in borhood by the torrent de the people a devotion to The Middle Ages and the Na Marranxa . The area St. Roch, who is tradition - “Dark Ages in Alaró ” around Los Davall be - ally invoked against the came the most dynamic plague. He was prayed to In the years following area in Alaró. It was en masse, and the end of the new conquest of the where urban and eco - the plague is generally at - island, much focus was nomic activities flour - tributed to him. In 1771, placed on agri - he was declared culture. Diversifi - to be the patron cation in this sec - saint of the town, tor is what main - and every year tained the econo - his feast day is my of Alaró for celebrated on centuries. Among August 16. the many trades Eventually, that existed in the strategic im - those days were: portance and up - traginers (those keep of the castle responsible for as a military po - transporting and sition was forgot - selling the oil ten. During this that was made on time, the impor - large estates and tance of the cas - farms), carbon - tle as a defensive ers (who made fortress waned, charcoal from holm oak ished throughout the fol - and its importance as a trees), calciners (who lowing centuries. place of piety grew until it were in charge of running During these years, was eventually turned lime kilns), and margers Alaró’s exemplary oil pro - into a sanctuary. The cas - (master dry stone duction was a powerful tle area was also used as a builders, a trade that means of trading with the hermitage in the mid-17 th stood out in mountainous rest of the island, espe - century by Joan Mir Val - areas). One notable good cially Palma. lès of Alaró, who lived that was made in Alaró Tafones or olive press - there for years. He dedi - was silk, and to do this, es were another success - cated himself to medita - white mulberries had to ful part of agricultural in - tion and the preservation be grown in order to sus - dustry throughout the tain the silkworm popula - history of Alaró. In 1871, tion. Archduke Ludwig Salva - The first church in the tor of Austria noted that town was located in the Alaró was the third- Los Damunt neighbor - placed municipality (be - hood, probably near the hind Sóller and Lloseta) area where the Sa Bastida when it came to oil pro - houses currently lie. duction. Building a parish in the mid-14 th century planted St. Roch the seed that would be - (in Catalan : Sant Roc ) come the modern day center of Alaró town. It is The 17 th century was The houses of Sa Bastida in this area that the Los one of hardships across

10 and protection of the small chapel there as a part of his spiritual retreat and commitment to the Christian faith. As the site became more popular for religious use, he decided to retire to Valldemossa. The building of the Or - atori de la Verge del Refugi (Oratory of the Virgin of the Refuge) and the Vía Crucis (Way of the Cross) to help people along their pilgrimages make the steep climb up Working in the Can Fullana shoe factory to the fortification also date to the 17 th century. began to overtake agricul - positively reflected both ture as the main econom - economically and socially ic endeavor. This, along speaking. with the recession that The Alaró Electricity the oil market suffered in Company ( Compañía de the 19 th century, meant Electricidad de Alaró ) that working in the olive was created by the bro - groves or with the olive thers Gaspar and Josep presses was no longer as Perelló Pol. On a trip to lucrative as it once was. Barcelona, Gaspar visited The prosperous develop - a power plant and was ment of shoe factories given schematics for its along with lignite (brown machinery. On his return coal) mines were the driv - to Alaró, the two brothers Joan Mir ers of Alaró’s economy. In decided to set up a similar 1881, a railway line was power station. opened up between Alaró Alaró, a town of pioneers: town and Consell. modernity and innovation Although the signifi - cant economic resurgence Towards the end of the of these years defined the 19 th century, the munici - evolution of Alaró, one pality began the unstop - event drastically changed pable process of industri - the history of the munici - alization and innovation. pality: Consell separated Citizens of Alaró were pi - from Alaró in 1925; up oneers when it came to until then it was a hub manufacturing. This, under the authority of the along with widespread municipality of Alaró. entrepreneurial spirit, Gaspar Perelló meant that Alaró would The arrival of electricity become the first town in Majorca to have electric In 1901, Alaró put the Their ingenuity paid lighting, and it would be first power plant in Ma - off, and a 100 horsepower the first place on the is - jorca into operation, even steam driven generator land to have a cinema. before Palma. The start of clicked away, producing But, one industry in the the power plant brought electricity. Officially star - municipality quickly about significant growth ted up on August 15, 1901, stood out: shoes. The and high levels of mod - the power plant’s opening shoe industry rapidly ernization, which were ceremony drew in many

11 The shoe industry

At the end of the 19 th century, the production of shoes was still big busi - ness in Alaró. Even today, the industry has survived and thrived. In 1870, Jaume Pizà Jaumico opened the first shoe making workshop in Alaró, and he progressive - ly added new factories to his burgeoning business, including Can Pau Coll, Can Joan Vidal, and Can Pericàs . The first exports were sent to the United States, and during WWI special orders were made to supply boots to the French army. In 1955, Recreation of the opening ceremony of the power there were more than 50 plant shoe making workshops visitors from both towns Cinema throughout the munici - and the big city (Palma). pality. There were even special The Perelló brothers, Other production lines trains scheduled to bring not content with the were also set up around people in. opening of the power the commercialization of Reports from the era plant, also suggested the shoes. Two cardboard tell the story like this: bringing a factories There was no shortage cinema to were built, of bagpipes or drumrolls. Alaró. originally The Cossiers (typical Ma - And so it for ship - jorcan dancers) danced in was; they ping the the church offertory and started the shoes in the machine room. At first cine - that were night, when the lights ma in Ma - made in were turned on across the jorca in Alaró. town, the multitude of 1903. For a Eventu - people in the streets period of ally erupted in applause. time, peo - though, In 1917, the Perelló ple from they brothers sold their plant across the were along with the distribution island came supply - grid that brought electrici - to Alaró to ing ty to Consell, Binissalem, enjoy the card - and Lloseta to the Major - shows be - board can Electricity Company cause it Film poster from Alaró to half (Compañia Mallorquina was not of the de Electricidad ). until years island. Today, only the old later that Some plant’s smoke stack re - more cinemas would carpenters were even ded - mains, and it was refur - open in Palma and other icated to making wooden bished in 2001 in com - municipalities. boxes for transporting memoration of the 100- shoes. year anniversary of the power station’s opening.

12 Coal mines way to increased trade the 1930s though, due to within the island. The ini - the competition they One of the major play - tiative became reality on faced from road trans - ers in the economic bo - May 22, 1881, when the port. nanza that took place in line opened up. It was 3.4 Alaró was coal. Mines km long and linked the The Republic, the Spanish were opened up during town of Alaró with the Civil War, and the post- the first third of the 19 th main railway line that war period century. Archduke Lud - connected Palma and wig Salvator of Austria Inca. Globalization, and its described two: La Fortu - A lack of funds meant consequences, are not ex - na and La Dolores . By the that that the line that clusive to the present. The mid-20 th century six opened up would initially end of the First World mines were operating, be drawn by animals— War lead to a dramatic re - and in the 1970s duction in the the National In - number of mili - stitute of Indus - tary boots or - try ( Instituto Na - dered from cional de Indus - Alaró, and as a tria ) acquired all result the local of them. After shoe making in - their subsequent dustry suffered purchased by greatly and GESA (a Major - forced some can power com - craftsmen to em - pany), they were igrate to France used exclusively and Argentina. for providing fuel The years for thermal leading up to the power stations. 1931 declaration In 1988, the Interior of a lignite mine of the Second number of sites Spanish Republic operating decreased dras - mules pushed loads from were critical to the nas - tically until the next year Consell to Alaró, and the cent social and labor when lignite extraction return journey worked movements which plant - was ceased altogether as it simply with gravity—and ed the seeds for and was not economically vi - eventually would switch spurred the events that able. to an engine based would take place later on. tramway. The trains even - During the years that the The tramway tually stopped running in Republic was active, Alaró focused intensively on ed - Today, few traces re - ucation, which translated main of the late Alaró into cultural services such train company. The ex - as the opening of the li - pansion and new trajecto - brary; the implementa - ry of the Consell-Alaró tion of adult education roadway makes it very programs; and, perhaps difficult to appreciate the most importantly, the old layout of the railway construction of a new line. school that is still in use In 1875, the path from to this day. Palma to Inca was the The October 1934 up - starting point for the idea risings did not take place of having a railway line on in Alaró; but, they were the island that would the cause of arrests, and leave no village behind in they did away with the the process of industrial - Declaration of the Se - cond Spanish Republic left-leaning government. ization and would give in Alaró The coup d’état that fol -

13 lowed the 1936 elections gave way to the darkest years in recent Spanish history. For Alaró, as with the rest of Spain, the Civil War was one of the saddest events in the mu - nicipality’s history.

Present day Alaró

After the postwar period, Alaró was once again host to strong in - dustrial and min - ing activities, and companies tied to shoe moderate commercial ac - after the 1970s it changed making remain, including tivity. There is also a from being a place of emi - Tony Mora and the corpo - moderate level of tourism gration and instead be - rate headquarters of the thanks to its privileged lo - came a place of immigra - well-known brand cation and vibrant social tion. In the 1980s, Camper, which is the life. overdependence on ex - most internationally rec - porting to the United ognized Spanish shoe. States and a loss of com - Many municipalities in petitiveness in the market Majorca, including Alaró, led to a crisis in the shoe once thrived on industrial making industry that al - textiles, but this market most resulted in the com - has all but disappeared. plete loss of all shoe facto - Alaró is now a quiet resi - ries. Currently, only a few dential municipality with

14 3 Walking around Alaró To really get to know the municipality, three routes are suggested hereafter that cover some of the muni - cipality’s most emblematic streets and pathways.

Center of town Getting to know Alaró town means rambling through and getting lost on its winding streets, seeing history brought to life in ancient reminders, and experien - cing the town itself.

Alaró Castle The hike up to Alaró Castle is one of the most spectacular outings to be found in this beautiful mountainous area of Majorca. The path from ses Artigues to Orient This trek will take travelers past the old system that provided water to the town of Alaró and was developed during the Arabic occupation of the island. 15 Walking around Alaró: Center of Town DIFFICULTY: EASY DISTANCE COVERED: 3.3 TO 3.7 KM. TIME : 2 HOURS

The Sant Bartomeu Church

The Town Hall

The Electricity tower

Son Manyes

The Bànyols townhouse

Sa Creu The Rectory Alaró Theater

The Can Xalet townhouse

Plaça del Mercat

S’Olivaret

Can Jaumico Son Mallol

o really get to know Los Damunt neighbor - the heart of Alaró, hood. In the mid-14 th cen - Tone must walk down tury the population out - and get lost on its winding grew the original oratory, streets, see history in the so a new one was built building façades and an - along the southern edge cient ruins scattered of the expanding town about, and experience the center, in the Los Davall town itself. This route, neighborhood. Only the which reveals more than base of the bell tower of 700 years of Alaró’s histo - the original church still ry, takes visitors past remains where the cur - some of the most note - rent one now stands. The The sculpture worthy buildings and original church was re - “Retorn al bon camí” landmarks of the town’s placed in 1626, and the center. For more informa - construction of the new on it which dates to 1785. tion, take a look at the at - place of worship was car - From the plaza, the tached map. ried out over many cen - main façade of the church The trek starts in the turies. In the 17 th and 18 th can be appreciated. It is plaça de la Vila , which centuries, the majority of defined by large amounts was built towards the end the chapels were complet - of bare unornamented of the 1930s as part of an ed, as was the main door - stone, and the only ele - urban reformation project way and the inscription ments that stand out are that saw the construction of this public area and of the current town hall. Sant Bartomeu Church (Església de Sant Bartomeu )

The plaza is dominated by the Sant Bartomeu Church . The history of this parish goes back to the 13 th century with the Santa Maria Church, The church bell tower and the tower on the town hall which is located in the

18 Plaça de la Vila E/ 6

Creu del Cós

The town hall S. Bartomeu Church The town hall and its fountain Portal del Fossar portico

the main doorway and the Sant Antoni is simple rose window, which were and could be the oldest popular in 17 th -century re - one in the church. It dates ligious architecture. The back to sometime be - walls contain more than tween the 16 th and 17 th 20,000 pieces of cut centuries, and it is made stone. out of stone and two pi - The main doorway lasters that support the is Baroque in style and doorway. The façade on made with sculpted mar - this side of the building ble in various colors. The supports the rectangular archway, framed by pil - bell tower, is divided by lars with bases and capi - relief lines, and is topped tals with moldings, serves with a cupola. The unfin - to support the gable The main doorway to the temple ished doorway in the which is ornamented with façade that faces plaça de curled details. Above it Jaume Sebastià , also there is a small opening in has gothic tracery, and to known as Portal del Fos - the form of a window. A its left is a clock mounted sar , is a low arch with fig tree juts out of the in wood and stone. Above bell-shaped borders opening, and the citizens the clock there is a small carved out of pudding - of Alaró affirm that it has rounded arch bell gable stone. always been there and has made with voussoirs. A piece of artwork by always been the same The doorway that leads the artist Enrique Broglia size. to carrer del Campanar , can also be found on top The rose window known as the Portal de

19 Sant Bartomeu Church: 1. The main altar 2. The Chapel of St. Joseph 3. The Chapel of the Virgin of the Re - fuge 4. The organ 5. The Chapel of St. Gabriel 6. The Chapel of the Rosary 7. The Chapel of Carmen 8. The choir 9. The Chapel of Lourdes 10. Portal del Fossar The Portal de Sant Anto - (Fossar Doorway) ni, which leads to carrer 11. All Souls Chapel 12. The Chapel of the Holy Name of del Campanar. Jesus 13. The Chapel of St. Anthony 14. The Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

Italian artist Antonio Sol - dati. Notice the overall motifs and design of the piece which incorporates delicate floral and angel ornaments as well as the use of blues and violets. The baptismal font, lo - cated just next to the choir, was made out of one solid piece of marble and dates back to 1655. Of the set of altarpieces from the rest of the chapels, the majority are Baroque in style. Of spe - The church’s main altar, made out of marble cial interest is the altar - piece in the Capella de of a rock in this plaza. nave, boasts a unique les Ànimes del Purga - This well-known artist is piece of Baroque Major - tori (All Souls Chapel), one of the many that have can art from the 18 th cen - created by Joan Antoni chosen to settle down in tury. There is no other all- Oms in 1660. Alaró. marble altarpiece on the The Sant Bartomeu The interior of the island that is as big this Church celebrates mass church has only one one. Traditional stories daily at 8:00 pm and on nave with chapels be - tell that the citizens of Sundays at 9:30 am. The tween the buttresses that Alaró worked the stone building can be visited in support the cross-vaulted pieces in their own roof. What is really inter - houses which led to esting is that at the point significant problems where the arches come to - when it came time to gether, the builders put putting all of them to - the date that they finished gether. the work. The lateral Another notable ele - columns of the vaulted ment in the church is ceiling show the crest of the choir . Built dur - Alaró on their capitals. ing the last quarter of The main alter , to - the 18 th century, it is wards the back of the the masterpiece of Baptismal font

20 Every Saturday morning, the church puts on an organ concert that coincides with the weekly market.

thedral in Seville. A looting in the The organ 1960s led to the loss of some of its original parts. But in 2006, it was res - he instrument that is currently tored by the organ builder Gerhard in Alaró’s Sant Bartomeu Grenzing at the behest of the choir TChurch is not the original one. Orfeó d’Alaró. A large part of the There is nothing left of the first one town’s residents wanted to help in that was installed. The current organ the restauration of the organ, so they was built in 1754, by Pere Joan made the symbolic purchase of one Bosch, a member of the well-known of the instrument’s ancient pipes. dynasty of Majorcan craftsmen who Every Saturday, at 11:30 am, organ built, among others, the instruments concerts are held that anybody can in Madrid’s Royal Palace and the ca - come and enjoy!

21 The Creu del Cós has an octagonal capital with elements from the crest of Alaró and figures representing St. Sebastian, St. Bar - bara, and St. Paul.

crest of Alaró: a wing and a tower. The figures accom - panying Christ are St. Sebastian, St. Barbara, St. Paul, and a saint carry - ing a palm branch to represent mar - tyrdom. Above the capi - tal, the cross itself is extensively deco - the mornings from Mon - rated with plant day to Saturday. moldings, and Located to the left of arms stretch out the main doors of the holding medallions church is the Creu del with a figure on Cós which dates back to each one: a peli - the 16 th century. It was a can—the symbol of wayside cross; these were the Eucharist, the structures that were usu - Virgin, St. John, ally located along paths to and Mary Magda - mark the end of a munici - lene. On the back pality and to provide side is a represen - some kind of spiritual tation of the Virgin protection. A storm with with the baby strong winds destroyed Jesus in her arms the cross in 1884, and and her foot on a after having been aban - full moon with a doned for many years, it human face. There was finally restored in are also symbolic 1958, by sculptor images for the four Francesc Salvà. It was de - evangelists: an The crucifix has a represen - clared a BIC (good of cul - eagle, a man, a tation of Christ on the front tural interest) in 1963. lion, and an ox. This crucifix has an oc - Under the pro - and a representation of the tagonal capital, and on its tection of the cross, Virgin Mary holding Baby faces are six figures and people used to pray Jesus in her arms. two elements from the the Blessing of the

22 The town hall has a Baroque civil Majorcan style which is characterized by low archways supported by wide columns.

Fruit on May 3, the Feast of the Cross, to protect their crops.

The town hall E/ 6 Located in the same plaza is the town hall , which is made up of two bodies, each pertaining to different buildings built in different eras. The first, overlooks carrer Petit and dates to the end of the 19 th century. It was acquired by the government when Town Hall of Alaró construction started on the new regionalist-style The roof of the building riosities housed within town hall after the Civil has two slopes and Arabic the town hall. Under the War. roof tiles. The stone ash - portico on the ground The façade (also re - lars, which form the en - floor, there is a fountain gionalist in style) is made tire structure of the build - that dates back to 1742. In up of a portico on the ing, can be seen on parts the interior courtyard one ground floor, a first floor of the façade and the attic. of the oldest crests (1681) with balconies, then an The overall style of the can be found; it was res - attic, and finally a tower. building was inspired by cued from the previous the Majorcan civil government building. The Baroque form, which is old town hall, a Baroque characterized by, among building, was located just other elements, low arch - in front of the current ways supported by wide one. It was situated in the columns. area that is currently the The tower on top of plaça de la Vila . the building is opposite the church bell tower, which gives a purposely Plaça de balanced look. The ledge, la Vila E/ 6 with a wooden overhang Without leaving the protects the building from plaza, one can find the onslaughts of water. Hotel Traffic and the Can The town hall portico There are various cu - Punta restaurant on the

23 The streets of Alaró are signed with hand-crafted plaques.

corner opposite the town which is on dis - hall. The location of these play in the gar - establishments was, at dens in front of one time, just one build - the cathedral in ing called the Posada de Palma. In the Can Xalet (located at plaça de la Vila plaça de la Vila , numbers an 1899 bronze 8 and 9). The so-called piece of his, ti - posades were the town - tled Retorn al houses of the estate own - bon camí ers who would make use (Back on the of them when they were right track), is in town. The building’s on display. The “Retorn al bon camí” façade is the original one, Behind this sculpture by Llorenç Rosselló and it is an example of the sculpture, in an - painstaking building tech - other corner of Even through the remod - niques that were used at the plaza, is the Casal de eling, some of the original the end of the 17 th century Son Mallol (located at layout of the building and and beginning of the 18 th plaça de la Vila , number some of its original deco - 14). It is a house that was rations, including ceramic acquired by the town, and tiles, have been kept. its history goes back to Among the characteris - the 16 th century. Among tics that define the major - other notable features are ity of the main door - the large windows, deco - ways in Alaró are the rated with ogee large lintels—stone slabs stonework and the small bell-shaped window on the side of the house. A door attached to the building houses the last The Can Xalet olive press that was used townhouse in Alaró, and some of the machine’s structure has century in Alaró. been preserved. The Llorenç Rosselló (1867- ground floor was re - 1901) was a well-known formed to host the Acros sculptor from Alaró. He is Bar—a place where famous for designing the Alaró’s citizens meet both piece the Forner Balear during the day and at (The Balearic slinger), night—and a restaurant. The Son Mallol manor

24 S’Olivaret is one of the In the center of the plaça The ‘passatge’ de Sa Ge - largest manors in the del Mercat there is a rreria is a pretty space town center of Alaró. sculpture by the artist that takes us to the area Solveig Pripp. known as Ses Rotes.

that make up the upper Mary that is used in the importance of this horizontal part of the Easter Sunday proces - dwelling lies in the state doorframe—and sand - sion. The Celler de s’O - of conservation of the ele - stone doorframes and livaret , or s’Olivaret ments preserved within. thresholds—the lower bodega, is on the other In the past, it housed an horizontal part of the side of the street on the ancient water mill that doorframe. In some cases, corner, and it still houses was part of the qanat crosses or the its original (Arabic water system) Greek letter wine casks. that supplied the town Tau, a symbol The plaça with water. Unfortunate - of St. Antho - del Mercat ly, only a few pieces are ny, were gardens are left of the mill. It is said carved into located at the that the hermit Joan Mir, the center or end of carrer founder of the Miramar sides of the de Can Xalet . hermitage in Valldemossa stone door - As the name lived here. frames. suggests, in Going up the sloped Going up days past trad - carrer de Son Sitges , visi - carrer Can ing activities tors will find carrer Ger - The Greek letter Tau Xalet , visi - inscribed on the lintel took place reria on the right-hand tors can see of a doorway here. But side. This is one of the two 17 th and eventually many nice little areas that 18 th -century they were can be explored in the old buildings located opposite moved to plaça de la Vila . town. Return to carrer de one another: the Posada The route continues Son Sitges and find Son de s’Olivaret (located at along carrer d’Enmig and Bieló (carrer de Son Sit - carrer de Can Xalet , 5-11) turns down the first street ges, 11), a manor that and the Celler de s’Oli - to the right varet (located at carrer until reaching de Can Xalet , 12-16). carrer Síquia. The Posada de s’O - Following the livaret is one of the marked path, biggest feudal manors in the 17 th -cen - the town, and its main tury Casal façade faces carrer d’En - de Son mig . Although the origi - Vidal (car - nal manor is quite old, the rer Síquia, interior of the building 21-23) can be was updated in the 20 th found at the century. The house keeps end of the Son Vidal the image of the Virgin street. The

25 Art in Alaró

uring the 1960s and 1970s, some renowned artists moved themselves or their studios to DAlaró. Many of them no longer live in or fre - quent the town, but in some way or another, they have left their mark. Many anecdotes can still be heard Son Bieló has pieces of and pieces of art found around the town center. Some one of the town’s old of the artists coined the term “the group from Alaró,” water mills. and they even put on some joint international exposi - tions under the name. Some of the more famous housed yet another water names tied to Alaró include Manolo Coronado , Ma - mill—of which very little nuel Hernández Mompó , Celedonio Perellón , Aleix is left—belonging to the Llull , Amelia Viejo , Josep Maria Llambias , and Sol - previously mentioned veig Pripp . water system. This manor dates back to the 18 th century; its doorway is neoclassical in style, and the foyer still has the original cobblestone floors from when the building was erected. The house has its own chapel with an ancient altar and a small sacristy.

Manuel Mompó along with one of his pieces called “Alaró” (above). Below, a sculpture by Coronodo in the plaça dels Horts and a painting by Perellón.

The Son Bieló alleyway These years do not represent an isolated incident. In fact, this area continues to attract artists from all over Ses Rotes the world, including: Sandra Lehnis , James Lam - C-D-E-F/ 3 bourne , Rafa Forteza , Álvarez Frugoni , Alfred Lich - ter , Nathasha Lébedeva , Menéndez Rojas , Diego The path carries on to - Delgado , and Von Treskov . wards the most elevated The municipality has a relatively new but reputable area in the town center: gallery that specializes in contemporary art: Addaya carrer del Pujol . Here, Centre d’Art Contemporani . The owners of the gallery there were once a set of focus their activities on exhibiting pieces by renowned small farm houses. Now, artists who have some relationship with Alaró and on Ses Rotes is a developed exposing new artists.

26 Ses Rotes was an area with small plots of land that were used for farming. neighborhood, but it was centrated, for the most the left-hand side is an - the historical location of part, in this neighbor - other landmark that illus - the town’s rotes —small hood. trates the once vital water farms that were given for At the end of the walk network: the Rentadors farming in exchange for through this area, visitors de Son Rafalet (the Son something, or simply to arrive to the plaça de Rafalet wash-house). have some farming land Ses Rotes which offers a These public wash basins without any personal ex - beautiful panorama of the were built in the 19 th cen - penses. whole town center with tury and were supplied During the 1960s and the Los Damunt neigh - with water from the Ses 1970s, some well-known borhood in the forefront. Artigues Spring. They artists chose to move to Going down the steep were used for decades by Alaró, and they were con - carrer de Son Rafalet , on the women of the town to

Font de Ses Artigues (Ses Artigues Spring)

he font de ses Artigues is the spring that supplied water to a Tlarge part of the municipality in centuries past. It was mentioned as early as 1232 by Gastón de Bearn. The cons - truction around this spring is a qanat system: an Arabic method for making use of underground water. It employs the use of a shaft that goes many meters into the ground. In Majorca they tend to be made out of dry stone. Along the con - sons. Here, the qanat forms the starting duit, vertical perforations were made at point of the water system that transpor - regular intervals to serve as vents. Canals ted irrigation water to farming terraces, had to keep a certain slope so that gra - the water that would power the machi - vity would keep the water flowing. nery in the mills, and of course the water In the case of Ses Artigues, the shaft that was used by the residents of Alaró. It goes 60 meters into the mountain and is possible that the Los Damunt neigh - only the exit point is visible. Recently it borhood used water from another qanat: was closed oﬀ for health and safety rea - the one from the Sa Bastida Spring .

27 Los Damunt A-C/ 3-4-5

Plaça dels Horts

The Son Borràs townhouse

Old houses Sa Bastida

wash clothes. The installa - Los Damunt rounded arches, segment - tions have one large basin ed arches, and reduced with three interior com - Finally, the journey arches, as well as those partments all made of takes visitors through the made out of stone, sand - stone and white plaster. Los Damunt neighbor - stone, and even some The roof is presently made hood, the original town with wooden lintels with modern day beams center of Alaró referenced (upper part of the door - and Arabic roof tiles. as early as the 13 th centu - frame). From here, the way to ry. The reduced size of The planned route con - the original town center this ancient area makes it tinues down carrer de of Alaró crosses the plaça possible to take a leisurely son Duran , towards dels Horts . It was built in stroll through its major plaça de Cabrit i modern times, and the streets, where some im - Bassa . Before reaching sculpture by Manolo portant buildings and the plaza, visitors are en - Coronado, somewhat hid - many simple houses with couraged to take a look den in a corner, should aged façades can be ap - around and get lost in the not be overlooked. preciated. In this area all alleyways that make up kinds of doorways can be the Los Damunt neigh - observed: ones with borhood.

28 Los Damunt, the beginnings of Alaró fter the Catalan con - quest of Majorca, wri - Aters referenced Los The Chapel of Cabrit Damunt as the Arabic farms - and Bassa tead of Oloron, included in the district of Canarossa or Qanarûsha after the division (Cabrit and Bassa) were of lands. This ancient farms - cruelly executed by king tead would become the first Alfonso II of Aragon. population center (known as On one side of the pobla antiga [the old town] plaza a chapel was built or partida d’Amunt ) where a in the 12 th century to church was erected. Throug - commemorate the mar - th tyrdom of Cabrit and hout the 14 -century , the Bassa. Later, it was re - population grew, and this re - formed, and now it hous - quired that a new church be es an altarpiece of the Virgin, by Manuel Coron - ado. In the center of the plaza there is an elevated cistern that sits upon an octagonal stone slab, with elements made of iron. This kind of water built in the lower part of the cistern, and others like it, town. The Los Damunt hege - once provided water to mony would carry on the town’s population. through the 16 th -century , In the plaza, which is after which more construc - dominated by an old tion took place around manor that once housed current town center and the the offices of the Guardia new parochial church in the Civil (a Spanish law en - Los Davall neighborhood. forcement agency), visi - Despite the numerous reno - tors can find what are vations that the area has un - very likely the oldest dergone, some of the me - houses in Alaró. They dieval structure still remains date back to the gothic (in the narrow and dead end period and can be found streets, and in the small pla - The cistern in the plaça at plaça Cabrit i Bassa, 8 zas, for example). And many de Cabrit i Bassa and 9. These two houses of the houses clearly date were originally one back to the 14 th or 17 th -c en - In plaça de Cabrit i building. The old door - turies. Some might see Alaró Bassa or plaça de Los way is still intact and is as two towns bundled up Damunt , visitors are proof of this. Though into one, given that the Los once again confronted when the house was di - Damunt neighborhood even with either history or vided into two, a new low has its own festivities. See myth: it is said that this archway was installed the chapter “Alaró and its fes - is where the local heroes next to the original one tivals”.

29 Son Borràs is a 16 th- cen - The Los Damunt neighborhood is Alaró’s original tury manor that served town center, referenced as early as 1395. The small as the town home for size of this area makes it possible to take a short the farmland of the same name pleasant stroll through its main streets.

to provide an entrance to also some treasured re - Alaró, continuing down the new dwelling. The ap - mains of an ancient wa - carrer de Sa Bastida , vis - pearance of the façade has termill. itors cross the torrent been altered by the addi - Still in the Los Damunt de Na Marranxa , tion of mortar. neighborhood, following which physically sepa - Continuing the trek carrer Tià Roig downhill rates the historical neigh - takes visitors out of the and turning onto carrer borhood, and continue plaza and directs them de Sa Bastida , visitors fi - onto carrer Can Coxetí to left onto carrer de Son nally arrive to Sa Basti - return to the Los Davall da (num - neighborhood. bers 18 to The Can Pinoi build - 24), an old ing rises up where carrer piece of land Can Coxetí, d’Enmig, and that was ab - Porrassar meet. It is a sorbed into 17 th -century house that the town boasts an impressive center of Los stone doorway and sand - Damunt. stone cross embedded in This set of the main façade. buildings Continuing onto carrer gets its Porrassar , a little farther name from a down, visitors can see a 13 th -century new cistern called el Car - The Sa Bastida manor fortification regador del Porras - that today is sar . It is octagonal in only a scat - Borràs and eventually to tering of ruins. It is possi - the front of a property ble that these houses were with the same name as built very near the first the street ( Son Borràs ) church in Alaró. at numbers 9 and 11. It is The side façade of the a manor that was built to - building opens up into an wards the end of the 16 th- interior courtyard, domi - or beginning of the 17 th- nated by a large hackber - century. It is said that it ry tree, where the Univer - was the old posada sitat de la Vila , that is, the (townhome) of the Son ancient seat of the munic - Borràs estate. Inside, the ipal government, was said house has been divided to have met during the into two. One of them still Middle Ages. has the stone pieces of the Now leaving the first The doorway of the Sa old olive press. There are neighborhood of ancient Bastida manor

30 Can Pinoi is a house In the area of the Typical manor house from the 17 th- century Porrassar we find an from de 17 th- century with an outstanding octogonal cistern or sited in Can Palou street stone doorway carregador and today divided into three houses shape and sits atop a large stone slab. It still has its Teatre d’Alaró (Alaró Theater) D/ 6 top cover, the wheel for pumping water, and the drainage line, all made of iron. The small basin at - tached to the base collects overflowing water and trickles from the drain. Following the street, visitors will pass the Alaró Theater . Going down carrer de Can Palou (at numbers 2- 6) visitors will pass in he Alaró Theater was recently reopened, in front of a typical feudal 2008, after significant renovations. Up to the manor from the 17 th- T1950s it had been the old parish cinema. Now, century . Today, it is di - the theater has been beautifully redone: outside vided into three there are murals by Menéndez Rojas , and inside a dwellings. The first of piece by Pep Llambías . The space has been desig - them is an exemplary ned for diﬀerent kinds of artistic and cultural activi - 17 th -century home. It has ties, including cinema, performing arts, concerts, an impressive portico and seminars, among others. built with pillars that have stone capitals with mold - ings. For those who enjoy The former (located at exterior façade and the curious details, one of the carrer de Can Palou , 1; traditional mortar cover - window frames has a carrer de Son Antlem , 19) ing, thus leaving open th Maltese cross engraved is a 19 -century building stone which allows for the on the side of it. If visitors with meticulously crafted perfect framing of the are observant, they will geometric decorations as windows and the doorway notice that there is no well as the use of pieces of to be observed. Like many shortage of engraved contrasting sandstone of the houses from that crosses on doorways and and polished stone to dec - era, the property had an window frames in Alaró. orate the ground floor. olive press. Today, the Along the street, at the In front of Can Pere olive oil receptacles and th curve, lies a small plaza Ric lies the 18 -century milling stones remain. divided by the road, with Posada de Son Guitard Turning down the two buildings on either (located at carrer de Can street to the left visitors side: Can Pere Ric and Palou , 20). Various reno - can once again see the the Posada de Son vations have been carried Sant Bartomeu Church in Guitard . out here, including on the the distance. The recto -

31 Of note in the 19 th- cen - Son Guitard (18 th- cen - In the orange tree gar - tury Can Pere Ric manor tury) underwent a den at the rectory a sun - are the meticulously de - renovation in order to dial from 1768 can be tailed decorative ele - expose the stonework found on the interior ments of the façade façade

ry (located at carrer Rec - there is a sundial from to the starting point, the toria, 8-12) is on this 1768 painted in black and plaça de la Vila . From same street. It is a build - white. If it is open, peek in here we propose two fur - ing from the 18 th -century, a little bit, the rector ther options: visiting the and it was constructed on won’t mind. southern part of the town top of a previous building. On this same street, or taking a look around The main doorway, the western part of an interior Renais - the town center. sance doorway, and The first option will some other interior take visitors past, elements and recy - among other things, cled materials are the Son Sant Joan the only parts of the farmstead and former building that some exemplary still remain. From modernist build - the street, visitors ings. The second can only appreciate choice will take visi - the still intact neo - tors past some of classical doorway the most impressive inspired during the The exterior façade of the rectory manors in Alaró. Protorenaixement (Spain’s first Ren - The southern aissance). It has a large visitors can find Can de door with a lintel carved Haro (at numbers 7-9), a option (to Son out of stone and topped magnificent 18 th -century Sant Joan ) E/ 10 with a triangular gable. In building whose reception the gable there is a crest hall doors can be appreci - Returning to the first of and two dates, 1630 and ated if the doors to the the forks, this route leads 1803. The last date almost street are opened. These partly down the last certainly references the inner doors are modern in stretch of the original itin - date that the reformations style and are made of erary back to plaça de la were carried out. The liv - wood and glass. The door - Vila and the Casal de ing area can be reached way of the house is also Can Pere Ric . From by passing through the noteworthy: a beautiful, there the new path con - outer doorway, and carry - rounded, voussiored, tinues downhill. At carrer ing on through a small stone archway. The fa - Can Cladera , number 25, courtyard with orange mous Majorcan poet Joan visitors can stop at the trees—formerly a veg - Alcover lived in this end of the street to ob - etable garden. On the house. serve a colonial art deco main façade of the house Here, the route returns style manor from 1931. Of

32 The colonial art deco styled manor located on carrer de Can Cla - The Escola Graduada was inaugurated in 1934, and it dera was the symbol of Alaró during the Second Spanish Republic

farmstead. Its origins can a doubt, a beautiful exam - be dated back to the 13 th - ple of modern architec - century, and it was origi - ture, which is embodied nally made up of the farm in the two semicircular houses, a stable, and an parts of the structure that olive press (first described stand out from the central in 1458). A large part of axis of its austere façade the buildings that ap - as well as the florally dec - peared afterwards were orated exterior fence, the updated in the 19 th and railings on the terraces th The Can de Haro manor 20 centuries along with and balconies, and the the renovation of the use of iron as a decorative farmstead itself. If visitors and structural element. note here is the stone reach the Son Sant Joan Further up, carrer Son molding with circular farmstead, they will have Amengual joins up with geometric patterns and to return to the school carrer Can Pintat to head modern trellis (similar ex - and continue along carrer towards another one of amples can be seen in de Pere Rosselló Oliver (a the many points where other buildings from the street that is dedicated to water was once distrib - same period). the town’s repub - The flagship project lican mayor who and symbol of Alaró dur - was executed by ing the Republic was un - firing squad dur - doubtedly the Escola ing the Spanish Graduada (located at Civil War) and carrer Pere Rosselló Oliv - turn right onto er , 24) which has a 1920s carrer Son regionalist style. The proj - Amengual, to ect was carried out by the enjoy an example architect Guillem Forteza, of a new modern and it was finally opened dwelling, es on April 14, 1934. Casats or els Passing in front of the Casals (lo - school, downwards on cated at car - Son Sant Joan carretera de Santa rer Son Maria , visitors can ad - Amengual 26). This uted, the pump at Can mire a set of houses that building is isolated from Pintat . This circular cis - lie outside of the town the rest of the nearby tern, has a vertical wheel center and which make buildings as it has its own with a drainage line, all up the old Son Sant Joan garden area. It is, without made out of iron.

33 Els Casals is a building The pump on carrer de Can Marrigo is a 17 th - that allows passersby to can Pintat is circular and century manor that has a appreciate another has an iron wheel notable doorway and example of modern ar - iron balcony chitecture

This route comes to an end at an important piece of modern history for the municipality: the Torre de l’Electricitat or electricity tower . Situ - ated on avinguda de la Constitució , just a little way down from carrer de Can Pintat , this is the only landmark that re - mains of the first power plant in Majorca (1901), opened under the aus - pices and hard work of the brothers Gaspar and Josep Perelló, two oil and soap salesmen. Actually, The electricity tower the remains are that of the base of the plant’s de la Vila, the starting smokestack which is point for all other treks. made up of two concen - tric walls in the form of a pyramidal trunk, joined The western by a ladder. In the section option (to titled “Alaró, a town of pi - Pontarró ) G/ 4 oneers,” this chapter in the history of Alaró is de - The second of the two scribed in great detail. alternatives starts in This structure was plaça de la Vila and con - classified as a BIC (good tinues onto carrer Petit , of cultural interest) in then carrer Alejandro 2000, and the town gov - Rosselló , and finally avin - ernment worked on its guda de la Constitució restauration one year where the tour begins by th later, the 100 anniver - turning onto carrer del sary of its inauguration. Camp Roig . At number This is the final stop on Can Bereiol, the headquar - ters of the electricity plant 20, visitors will find Can this route. Visitors need (building located next to the Marrigo , a 17 th -century only return to the plaça electricity tower) house with a stone façade

34 In front of the Son Man - yes manor there is an area with a round cis - tern The Bànyols townhouse

almost unrecognizable, number 30, there is a ra - the old house number— tionalist style building once used to organize the with a unique shape. payment of taxes—can Along the central vertical still be made out over the axis of the main façade arch. protrudes a semicylindric In front of this house, body. The balconies are and somewhat hidden be - adorned with ornamental hind an olive tree, is the iron railings and, like the Rationalist style manor Carregador de Son enclosure walls, trellises on carrer de Can Ros Manyes , a cistern similar decorated with floral ele - to the others which sits on ments. We can see similar covered with mortar a round stone slab that decorations at number 25 drawn in irregular panels. has been absorbed into on carrer de Can Clade - Of note is the doorway the sidewalk. and a balcony with an or - The tour namental railing made in continues up - a modern style out of wards along wrought iron. carrer Can There are many build - Manyoles , ings that stand out along and almost this stretch: numbers 25, immediately 27, and 48-50 on this at the inter - street are 19 th and 20 th - section with century buildings with carrer Can carefully looked after Ros and car - façades where sandstone rer Pontarró is are the central element there are (both architecturally and three ele - aesthetically). At the end ments worth Son Manyes of this street, number 52, taking a look is Son Manyes a 13 th - at. On the century building where corner, at carrer Can Ma - ra. the rounded arch door - nyoles , number 1, is the The third noteworthy way has been cut to give it Posada de Bànyols building can be found at more height. On this from the 18 th -19 th centu - the beginning of carrer same doorway, a row of ries. It was the house of Pontarró . It is known as hanging roof tiles protect the sculptor Llorenç Ros - sa Creu , or “the cross,” those entering or leaving selló. On the opposite cor - because of the cross em - the house from rain. Now ner, at carrer Can Ros , bedded in the wall. Made

35 Sa Creu The Can Jaumico manor

out of sandstone, the only economic boom that took House). It is a large isola - engraving is a token of place in Alaró thanks to ted manor surrounded by Jesus Christ in its center. the process of industriali - a large outdoor garden This is the meeting/start - zation. which boasts a large star ing point for the Easter Jaume “Jaumico” Pizà pine tree (Araucaria hete - Sunday procession. opened the first shoe rophyla) that is over 100 A brief stop in front of workshop here in 1870 years old. The floral ele - Can Jaumico or Ca and quickly began expor - ments etched into the s’Indiano (carrer Pontar - ting to Puerto Rico. The stone corbels are also pre - ró , 11-15) will allow visi - building is reminiscant of sent in the balcony. tors to appreciate a mo - typical Native American Continuing on carrer dern manor, built towards dwellings, and thus it is Pontarró , visitors will the end of the 19th centu - was given the nickname find another public wash- ry. It is the fruit of the Ca s’Indiano (the Indian house: the 19 th -century

Casal de Son Tugores (Son Tugores Manor) ince 1994, this property has belonged to the municipal Sgovernment. It hosts a large part of the cultural activities that take place in Alaró, and it consists of several diﬀerent spaces, like the munici - Some pieces of the ancient olive press, pal library, presentation rooms, and like the oil receptacles, have been con - other multipurpose rooms. served. Of course the manor can be visit - Passing through the farmland of Son ed, as long as it is open. Just next to, and Tugores was the irrigation canal that sharing a wall with, this building is an - went to Son Vidal before emptying out other that also belonged to the houses into a large 25-by-5-meter reservoir lo - that made up Son Tugores . Although it is cated just behind the houses that used privately owned, it was built in the same the flowing water to power their mills. time period and underwent a renovation The farmland associated with the manor in the 19th century. was included in the Ses Artigues Spring The adjacent terraced gardens, or qanat system, and even after the build - Jardins de Son Tugores , are also impressive. ing’s renovation, the remains of the wa - Once the property’s olive grove, they are termill can still be seen in the public es - now a public area complete with a botani - tate. cal garden and a children’s playground.

36 The public gardens at the Son Tugores manor

Rentadors del Pon - tarró (the Pontarró wash-house). It consists of a rectangular wash basin made of stone and mortar, and it lies be - neath a recently reformed portico. Very nearby, just up the street, lies Son Mas (carrer de Solleric , 5), a 17 th -18 th -century manor that is presently divided into two separate proper - ties. Originally, each one The Pontarró wash-house had a unique function: one served as a residence and the other was for known as Antiga Tafona carrer Camí de ses Bar - agricultural and farming dels Deumes . reres (an old part of car - use (including an olive Retracing our steps, rer de Sant Roc ) and press). This manor is also the path continues up turns at the intersection towards plaça de Son Tu - gores . Here visitors can find the 17 th -century cases de Son Tu - gores —although the lay - out of the building only dates back to the 19 th -cen - tury—and their attached gardens. The farmland as - sociated with this urban residence once bordered the town center; today they have been complete - ly absorbed by the town. Returning to carrer del Camí de Ses Barreres , linking with carrer Verge del Refugi , and turning onto carrer Jaume Colom , visitors are left Casal de Son Mas with the last part of the

37 The façade of Can Roua is notable for its well-crafted hewn-stone ashlars The manor on carrer del metge Jaume Colom

itinerary which passes in Finally, continuing and afterwards it was front of the casa de Ses onto carrer de Can Ros , converted into a chicken Caves or Can Morro at number 25 sits the and rabbit farm. Today, it (carrer Jaume Colom , Can Roua building (or has been converted once 21). This 17 th -century Can Jaumico ). The mate - again, this time into a dwelling houses the best rial and technique with house with a bar and stone staircase in Alaró. which the façade was restaurant on the ground The manor that includes build is worth mention - floor. The building has numbers 9 and 13 on this ing: the whole wall is undergone a complete same street serves as a made up of rough-cut renovation as the upper good example of the mid- stone ashlars ordered reg - floors were large rooms 17 th -century academism ularly along the façade designed for industrial style, which here, is pres - and set with very tight use. The route finishes ent in the decoration and joints, almost the only where it began, in the composition of the build - specimen of its kind in plaça de la Vila. ing. The main façade has Alaró. It was the first been preserved in its orig - house to have been con - inal state. verted into a shoe factory,

The corner of carrer Can Ros and The house of Ses Caves or Can Morro carrer Jaume Colom 38

Walking around Alaró: Alaró castle DIFFICULTY: EASY-MEDIUM DISTANCE: 4,2 KM. TIME : 3 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES (WALKING) / 1H AND 15 MIN (VEHICLE)

The l’Orengar viewpoint

Castle Walls

The Tower of Homage The outer walls (outer do or “The Congestor” of the compound) Water cisterns

The Cave of St. Anthony and the tower by the cave

Oratory of the Virgin of the Refuge Guest house

orway

The way up This route starts in the point walkers in the right town center of Alaró, and direction, and a sign post he climb up to Alaró visitors need only follow marks the turn left to - Castle is one of the the signs that point to - wards the ascent to the Tmost spectacular wards carretera d’Orient . castle. The first part of outings in this section is paved and this beauti - goes past the Son Curt ful moun - farmland. In fact, the path tainous re - is bordered by the farm’s gion. The fence. A little further on path makes are some houses that are up part of part of the Son the Dry Penyaflor farmland, Stone Trail which is currently an (Ruta de agro-tourism destination. Pedra en From here the trail Sec ) that has splits. The original one is been cared more direct as it shortcuts for and way - the more frequented con - marked by the Majorcan Here, the path is clearly crete path. government ( Consell de marked, and it is difficult If walkers cannot find Mallorca ). to get lost. Once on car - the ancient pathway and The castle is located on retera d’Orient , signs instead continue along top of Puig d’Alaró (Alaró Peak). The strength of the fortress is clearly evi - denced by its location; the vertical mountain walls make it inaccessible from nearly all sides, save one, and the only point of entry is the path that leads to the monument. The camí del Castell (Castle trail) is paved at the beginning, and thus vehicles circulate on this stretch. The last part of the trail—past the Pla del Pouet —can only be tra - versed on foot. The façade of Son Curt

42 The walk up to the Castle is one of the most spectacular hikes Es Verger in this beautiful area.

the roadway, a little far - ther ahead, just behind the boundary wall that di - vides the Son Penyaflor and Es Verger estates, there is a marker that will direct those who wish to leave the cement path to - wards the original trail. The itinerary continues upwards through olive and pine groves, following curves designed to ease the intense slope of the climb and crossing over the direct trail many times until finally leaving it behind a few hundred The beginning of the trail that leads up to the Castle meters before reaching

the cases d’Es Verger , where it continues on through a forest and ends up at the base of the mountain’s cliffs on top of which lays the castle. From here, the trail is un - mistakable, and it leads directly to the first line of the fortress’ defensive walls. On this last part of stone path, visitors are treated to magnificent views of the municipality and its surroundings. On the rugged reddish cliff faces (which according to legend are red from the spilled blood of the de - fenders the castle), be - hind trekkers as they The interior courtyard at Son Penyaflor make their final upwards

43 push towards the castle, tower, where the pleasant ta (reconquering), at are a number of native but deceiving breeze has which time the castle also endemic plant species caused more than a hand - became a permanent mili - that would certainly inter - ful of colds! tary post. est any naturalist. This tower has become Among the elements the stalwart emblem of that were included in the Reaching the top the castle, and of the citi - building of the rocky cas - zens of Alaró, for that tle were rooms for ser - The structural military matter. vants, kitchens, many elements of the strong - The military installa - flour mills, ovens for bak - hold include an outer wall tions that can be seen are ing, and water cisterns. that is adapted to the un - the 14 th -century ruins of a The most important dulations of the craggy gothic period castle. Due time in the history of rock and an interior to its strategic impor - Alaró Castle was during wall—the castle itself— tance, many walls were the 13 th , 14 th , and 15 th -cen - that is made up of three planned and built and turies, when the Royal close range watchtowers much maintenance was House of Majorca reigned and a main watchtower carried out in the decades and was eventually incor - designated for the lord of following the Reconques - porated into the Crown of the castle. The first enclosure is accessed via the main outer door, a large round - ed gateway that houses no trace of the double doors that once kept intruders out. Once past this first wall, stairs lead visitors to a crenellated tower known as the Torre de l’Homenatge (tower of homage) or the Constipador (con - gestor) , which must be passed through in order to enter the fortification. The Constipador got its name from the fact that, after making the difficult ascent to the castle, visi - The Tower of tors would take a rest and Homage or “The Conges - escape the heat under the tor”

44 View of the Tramuntana mountain range from the l’Orengar viewpoint

Aragon. The fortification The second lookout of - ings have been erected. was progressively aban - fers visitors a view of half As was normal in me - doned, although a mili - of the entire island at a dieval fortifications, the tary garrison was kept glance: from the Bay of castle had a gothic chapel there until 1741. Despite Palma to the mountains so that the personnel sta - efforts to the contrary, in Felanitx. On clear days tioned there could comply most of the medieval tow - even the silhouette of the with their spiritual obliga - ers have not been able to Cabrera archipelago is tions. stand up to the passing of time, and thus they are partially collapsed as no recent renovations or archeological excavations have been carried out in the area. Once making it through the wall and visiting the watchtowers, there is a winding path that leads uphill from the plateau to a group of more modern buildings: the oratory and Viewpoint from where visitors can see the southern the guest residence. There part of Majorca are two dry stone walls near this sloped portion visible. From here at Over the years the de - of the path; they serve as night, thousands of lights fensive role of the fortress viewpoints: one called the from across the island subsided and religious Orengar and the other flicker, seemingly at the services and gatherings the Mirador . foot of the castle. became more and more From the Orengar vis - All of the area has been important. With the 1622 itors can see a beautiful included in the Natura construction of the Orato - panorama of the largest 2000 network as a Site of ri de la Verge del Refugi mountains in the Serra de Community Importance del Castell d’Alaró (Ora - Tramuntana . The name and a Special Protection tory of the Virgin of the “Orengar ” comes from Area for birds. Further - Refuge of Alaró Castle), the wild oregano that more, it makes up a part the site was definitively grows on the cliffs. The of the protected natural converted into a sanctu - view spans from the Serra area in Majorca’s Serra de ary for the inhabitants of d’Alfàbia to Puig de Mas - Tramuntana mountain Alaró. The building was sanella and includes the range. made possible thanks to mountains l’Ofre , Tossals Upon reaching the top, the initiative of the parish Verds , and Majorca’s visitors will find an open priest at that time, Joan largest: Puig Major . area where a series of build - Coll, who was also in - 45 volved with the enlarge - octagonal pilasters. Under ures from Alaró, Guillem ment of the Sant Bar - the portico are two wood - Cabrit and Guillem Bassa, tomeu Church and was a en braces that support the who reached martyr and fervent defender of the roof. The apex is topped almost saintly status after worship of the martyrs with a sundial. they bravely defended Guillem Cabrit and The interior of the ora - Alaró Castle. In the sac - Guillem Bassa. tory is made up of only risty there is a shrine of The first stone in the one room with a barrel Cabrit and Bassa, and a construction of the ora - vault, ceramic floors, and substantial collection of tory was laid on offerings made March 29, 1622, to the image of during a the Virgin. In largescale pil - 1622, the chapel grimage to the and sacristy site to beg for were added to rain after a long the original drought. After it building. was completed, The use of the on November 6 castle as a reli - of the same year, gious site is fur - two ribs from the ther evidenced martyrs Guillem by the modern Cabrit and Vía Crucis (Way Guillem Bassa of the Cross)— were transferred installed in the to the oratory 1990s after the from their tombs original tilework in the Capella de Oratory of the Virgin of the Refuge disappeared in la Pietat (Piety 1907—which chapel) below the organ walls decorated with em - serves to lead visitors in the Palma Cathedral. bossed plant motifs by from the last fork in the The building is rather Italian artist Antonio Sol - path up to the castle. The small and has austere ar - dati. original Vía Crucis was a chitecture. The main The apse is semicircular trail with multicolored doorway, made out of and contains an altar situ - tiles depicting the Sta - sandstone, is designed in ated behind a Baroque al - tions of the Cross. Now, a Renaissance style. The tarpiece with an image of due to vandalism, there doorway is preceded by a the Virgin Mary. are scarcely remains of portico covered by a dou - On either side of the al - the original work. The last ble sloped roof with Ara - tarpiece are the represen - Stations were depicted on bic roof tiles that is held tations of the two most the walls of the buildings up by a rounded arch and well-known historical fig - in the plaça del Oratorio ,

46 The strong - structures on the site. hold was Even farther away, visi - never proper - tors can head to the ly populated, southeast of the mountain but it has had to visit the most remote various in - tower, complete with habitants crenellated walls and throughout arrow slits. This tower has the centuries: been popularly referred to from military as the Presó dels units to 17 th- Moros or the Torre de century her - sa Cova . mits to Very near this last today’s watchtower is the opening Sa Taverneta innkeepers to the Cova de Sant (donats) who Antoni (the Cave of St. which have recently been manage the guesthouse Anthony) . Visitors, how - renovated. and open the hermitage ever, will find no signs to daily from 9:00 in the help them locate it. This Celebrations at morning. impressive and irregular the castle Somewhat separated opening breaks through from the main set of the same craggy cliff face On the Sunday follow - buildings lays a set of six that defines the castle and ing Easter, a climb up to well preserved water cis - can be seen from the foot the castle is organized to terns with Arabic design of Puig d’Alaró. From in - celebrate the Festa de features and which pro - side, it offers a spectacu - l’Àngel (The Feast of the vided water to the main lar view of the surround - Angel) or Pancaritat . In Majorca, hikes to her - mitages and sanctuaries have always been organ - ized during the week fol - lowing Easter so that trekkers can share and enjoy the last of the previ - ous week’s empanadas. On the first Sunday of September, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is cel - ebrated with a collective meal in front of the ora - The celebration of the Feast of the Angel or Pancaritat tory.

47 The guest house

ing lands. This cavern served as a 17 th -century Staying at hermitage, too. the castle In 1931, the entire set of buildings on the site was he installations at declared a Bé d’Interès Alaró Castle oﬀer Cultural (good of cultural Tvisitors the roman - interest). tic opportunity to spend The area where all of the night inside the walls the buildings are located of an ancient mountain- is public property, man - top castle for the modest aged by the Fundació price of €12-€15 per per - Castell d’Alaró (Alaró son. To go on this adven - that was now no longer Castle Foundation), ture, visitors only need to theirs. Fortunately, the which is made up of the bring a sleeping bag and oratory, the guest house, Alaró Town Hall, the Dio - a towel. and the area enclosed by cese of Majorca, and the A complete renovation the ancient walls were ex - Majorcan government was carried out to install a cluded from this sale, and (Consell de Mallorca ). heating system through- to this day, they still be - For years, however, the out the guesthouse, as long to the municipality. citizens of Alaró have well as a snack bar and a When returning to the fought to put the castle in restaurant. town of Alaró, visitors can the hands of the munici - Foods can be ordered opt to retrace their steps pality. This bizarre story ahead of time at the res - or take the turn indicated begins in 1811, when the taurant, and the bar can by a wooden signpost that federal government put also make visitors some leads to el Pouet and the fortress up for sale. food. The guesthouse can eventually the cases d’Es Through the incredible fi - host up to 30 people. Verger , which have been nancial effort of the citi - Here, there are no great partially converted into a zens of Alaró, the monu - luxuries nor an extensive restaurant. Here visitors ment was purchased. The menu. Water is scarce, and can savor the restaurant’s main symbol of the mu - all supplies are brought famous lamb shoulder. nicipality was finally in up by donkeys who, For those who plan to the hands of its inhabi - along with the innkeeper, make the trip in a vehicle, tants. But, thanks to an are the only permanent the easiest option is to expropriation law drafted residents at the castle. leave it in the parking lot in 1885, the central gov - of the Es Verger restau - ernment once again auc - Reserve ahead of time: rant and take the el Pouet tioned off the property +34 971 18 21 12 trail.

48 The Castle in ancient times

The Cave of St. Anthony

49 The animal continued onward and up - The conquest ward, like a bird, and King James swung his sword, first to the right, then to the of James I left, until his adversaries’ heads flew through the air and their bodies fell to popular tale tells of James I climb- the floor. The Saracens’ blood covered ing up to and taking the castle: everything and even to this day it has AAfter conquering the rest of the not been able to be cleaned from the island of Majorca, Alaró Castle remained rocks and the grass that grows in the in the hands of the Muslims. James I the area. Conqueror and his troops charged the The conqueror continued his ascent fortification by way of the path up to with the Christians behind him, and the castle, as there is no other the enemies that had not fallen point from which to mount climbed the stairs to lock an attack. Ever vigilant, the themselves in the castle. men in the watchtowers But, at the last moment, the saw him approaching. Be - king managed to prevent lieving that they could them from closing the overpower the monarch, door, and he and his troops they came down from their rushed in. towers to apprehend him. The besieged residents of the But they were unsuccessful; they rocky castle could only escape the did not make the king retreat even one Christians by throwing themselves from step. The assailants themselves were the heights. quickly under attack and had to retreat, To avoid hurting themselves, they put for in combat, there was no man who gerres (earthenware jars) over their could defeat King James and his horse. heads because, as a shepherd from the On the steepest part of the approach, valley told them, it would protect them where the stairs begin, the king’s horse from harm. It is not hard to imagine what sprang up and advanced towards the was left of the gerres or of those who enemy with such a force that it left hoof threw themselves oﬀ; the largest piece marks on the rocks that are still visible that anyone could find was no bigger today. than an ear.

Walking around Alaró: Walk from Ses Artigues to Orient

DIFFICULTY: EASY-MEDIUM DISTANCE: 4,4 KM. TIME : 3 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES

his hike begins in Can Corona houses be - known as the font dels Alaró town, in the hind, the itinerary passes Molins (Spring of the TLos Damunt in front of the cases de Mills). neighborhood on carrer Sa Font des Jardí which de Son Duran following are right next to the riv- The building that pro - the torrent de S’Estret erbed. This was the first tects the Sa Font mill is and continuing next to of a system of 10 water rectangular, and on top S’Escaleta towards the powered flour mills that of being a grain mill, it hill with the Cals Reis watch tower and Puig de Can Llende - rina , and finally ending up in Orient. Along this iti - nerary, visitors will be able to see part of the ancient Arabic water system that supplied the town of Alaró with water. The walk starts in the Los Damunt neigh - Cases de Sa Font des Jardí borhood, and goes through plaça de Cabrit i Bassa were incorporated into also doubled as a defen - which contains an ele - the qanat of the font de sive tower. ment that hints at the ses Artigues (Town A little further up on old water system that Spring). The mills got this walk lays a surpri - runs through the entire their names from their singly large reservoir. It town: a cistern with a owners: Sa Font, Ca na was built in 2008, and manual iron pump that Fara, Son Borràs, Son has the capacity to hold is no longer used. Bieló, Son Vidal, Son Tu - 5500 m 3 of water. Built Continuing upwards gores, Son Berní, Son by the Comunitat de Re - on carrer de Son Duran Ibert, Es Molinás , and gants de la font de Ses with the torrent on the Bànyols . In the 17 th cen - Artigues (Ses Artigues right hand side and the tury, this spring was also Spring Irrigation Com -

52 Mills

he mills were mo - dest buildings with Tsimple machinery that allowed for them to be easily fixed and main - tained. The water in the main canal was diverted through a secondary canal that brought it to a basin, below which was posit- ioned the mill. The force of the falling water was enough to set the machinery in motion. After being run through the mill, the water was used to irrigate crops in the imme - diate vicinity or was stored in pools, as it could not be brought back up to the main water system. Traces of the ancient waterways are still visible over the houses. And along the pathway, there are traces of the canal that went to a new mill, but currently, the water is transported in pipes. The water was for everyone; thus it had to be distributed equally, and consumption was strictly regulated and structured. At some points in history, this became a divisive issue, so in 1293, the posi - tion of siquier was created to manage the use of water.

munity), the reservoir is piped. The canals passed with a concrete one. It filled by the spring of the through the whole town continues upwards same name. center until finishing through a terraced area Near this reservoir is their circuit in the Son but never strays from the the Ses Artigues estate Fortesa estate. riverbed. from which the qanat de - Following the itinerary rrives its name. The and leaving the cases de water from the spring Ses Artigues on the left, The terraced was diverted through a visitors can see that al - area in s’Estret system of uncovered ca - most all of the cobble- The terracing in this nals to Alaró town; stoned path has been area was built as a result today, however, it is destroyed and replaced of the parceling of com -

53 The water from the Ses Artigues Spring was di - rected through a canal to Alaró

munal lands between volved with the 1673 and 1674, after a stonework is im - fire devastated the s’Es - pressive. Even the tret township. The terra - riverbed has tiered ces are crude but very stone elements that suited to the region. For were intended to the most part, they serve reduce erosion and to cultivate olive groves, the power that an with some small almond onslaught of water orchards in the lower could produce, and part. therefore enable it There are newer buil - to be better captu - dings on both sides of red. the path as well as huts The trail is unmis - that served as places to takable and conti - take shelter while far - nues up the valley, ming activities were finally reaching s’Es - going on and also for tret , a natural nar- storing tools. The path row part of the valley S'Estret torrent carries on through half- that gives its name to abandoned olive groves the torrent that fo - —some of which have llows visitors along part Leaving the barrier on been completely recove - of the hike. Once past the left hand side, from red recently—and bas - s’Estret , the path makes the beginning of the pri - tions of ancient holm some tight steep turns. vate path towards the oaks amongst encroa - Visitors should stay on houses and following the ching invasive pines. The the trail until passing the original trail a little more technical expertise in- Ca na Magdalena estate. than 100 meters, a path - way opens up to the left. Cairns, some red marks made with paint, and even the name “Orient” written on the concrete, mark the way. The path that has been taken up to this point must be abandoned, and walkers must instead turn onto the s’Escaleta trail—the old footpath between Orient and Alaró. Once on this path, it is

54 Sa Plana is a pass that opens up towards Orient. This open area is a point where many trails come together. At the far end of the pass, visi - tors are treated to a view of the Orient valley

difficult to lose it thanks charming, and thus it at - eventually takes visitors to the quantity of mar - tracts a large number of into Orient—part of the kers that have been put visitors throughout the municipality of Bunyola. up. Here, visitors will year. The path, over some reach the Pas de s’Esca - The trail continues and stretches made with leta , a point where tran - links up with a roadway stone, passes by a spring sit is particularly diffi - that is wide enough for called la Fonteta and cult; thus, a stone wall carts to travel on. It was then runs into carretera was built and steps were undoubtedly designed d’Orient at kilometer added that act as a lad - for the transportation of 11.2. der. charcoal. The itinerary Once this bottleneck is leads downwards and passed, walkers will soon reach a small flat area with a humid oak grove which was used extensi - vely throughout the cen - turies by charcoal ma - kers. The large number of barraques —simple huts where workers took shelter—are evidence of this practice, as are the scattering of remains left behind by the charcoal makers and the round areas they built to pre- pare the charcoal. As the trail progresses, the flatter it gets, until Charcoal makers reaching Sa Plana , a pass that is open to the he thousand-year-old technique for making Vall d’Orient (Orient Va - charcoal involved stacking wood in the form lley). This open area is a Tof a silo in a circular opening. This would be point where many trails covered with clay and branches before being set converge, some leading alight. This arrangement was known as a carboner to the town of Orient and or rotlo de sitja . The wood generally came from holm others returning to oak trees and had to burn slowly. Charcoal makers Alaró. At the end of the had to be constantly vigilant in order to get a quality pass a view of the Orient product. During burning sessions, which could last Valley opens up. Orient days, charcoal makers took shelter in the rudimen - itself is a small town with tary barraques (huts), where they could catch some little more than 40 resi - rest while still keeping an eye on the silos. dents. It is undeniably 55

Alaró’s natural 4 herritage

The heritage of a place is not measured solely by the architec - tural and cultural elements present—which in Alaró are note - worthy and undoubtedly make the municipality very attrac- tive—but also by the preservation of its environmental en - dowments. Treat them with respect, as the locals will look down on anyone who does anything to damage the area’s environmental legacy.

The Son Fortesa in the Son Fortesa farm - land and runs up to the holm oak grove roadway that links Alaró and Lloseta. This forested This is a magnificent area is still used today to holm oak (Quercus ilex) graze the native breed of forest in which the trees black pig. can be up to 300 or even Some benches located 400 years old. Some between the roadway and reach 30 meters in height the wall that marks the and 5 meters in circumfe - forest’s border allow rence. This small grove, passersby to enjoy the which is just over 10,000 beauty of this landscape. m2 and has been protec - ted since 2001, lays with -

57 The Son Guitard pine tree

The Son Guitard pine tree is an exemplary Alep - po pine (Pinus halepen - sis). Extraordinary due to its size and age, this tree is known and loved by the people of Alaró. It meas - ures 23 meters high and 4.5 meters in circumfer - ence, and it is estimated to be between 250 and 300 years old. The tree gets its name from the Son Guitard estate where it is located. Since 1992, it has been a catalogued and protected specimen. The Sa Bastida Spring eucalyptus

This is a healthy and The Son Guitard pine tree spectacular foreign tree that is rather uncommon in the Balearic Islands: a The Sa Bastida The S’Escorxador hackberry banana trees

This hackberry (Celtis This group of conside - australis) that rises above rably sized banana trees the plaça de Sa Bastida in (Platanus orientalis) can the Los Damunt neighbor - be found on the public hood has a value that goes grounds of the old slaugh - beyond its being a mere exemplary tree. It is a fixture that makes up part of Alaró’s li - The Sa Bastida Spring ving history: great eucalyptus men and leaders from Alaró would eucalyptus (Eucalyptus meet here to make globulus). It is about 18 decisions that meters tall, and its trunk would affect the measures 2 meters in dia - future of the mu - meter. It is located along nicipality. The tree the old vegetable garden is estimated to be next to the Sa Bastida 200 years old; it Spring and is estimated to measures 8 me - be around 100 years old. ters tall and has a circumference of 2.6 meters. The Sa Bastida hackberry

58 The Casa d'Amunt elm tree terhouse ( s’Escorxador ), Casa d’Amunt in the Clot Alaró: poplars (Populus which has been converted d’Almadrà village. This is nigra), elm trees (Ulmus into a youth center. Some one of the few examples minor), and banana trees of the trees are over 25 of an elm grove that has (Platanus orientalis). meters tall and have cir - not been affected by They can be found on the cumferences of up to 3.7 Dutch elm disease (Gra - part of the walk to Orient meters. phium ulmi), a plague that passes through the that is destroying elm Son Fortesa property. The Casa d’Amunt trees across Europe. The elm trees were seri - elm tree ously affected by Dutch Poplars, elm elm disease (Graphium trees, and ulmi), but they are cur - A unique specimen rently recovering. As elm (Ulmus minor) that mea - banana trees at trees are very rare not sures 80 centimeters in Son Fortesa only in the municipality diameter and 18 meters in but in the whole island of height, this tree is located This is a notable group Majorca, it is crucial that along with a few others in of trees that are very rare they be cared for and al - the small elm grove at the in the municipality of lowed to properly recover.

The S’Escorxador banana trees Banana trees at Son Fortesa

Alaró, memories 5 etched in stone

sion. It is the main path - divided into three levels, Properties way that leads to the like the majority of Ma - refugi dels Tossals Verds jorcan houses from the he following farm - (a publically cared for era: a ground floor, a houses are particu - mountain shelter) in the main floor, and an attic. Tlarly beautiful be - Escorca municipality. El The windows are distrib - cause of their façades, Clot d’Almadrà has uted evenly, and the which adhere to the three farmhouses that main doorway is a purest of Majorcan tradi - make up a small village: rounded arch with vous - tions: elevated or elon - Son Ordines , Can Xalet , soirs made out of sand - gated wall faces with un - and the Casa d’Amunt . stone. On one of the covered stone ashlars, The Casa d’Amunt is a sides there is a sundial various types of windows place name that appears with no inscription. and balconies, and in the Llibre del Reparti - Other noteworthy ele - arched doorways. ment (Land Distribution ments are the olive press Registry; 1232), which and the kiln in the back El Clot d’Almadr à U/1 7 references one of the courtyard. oldest properties in Almadrà is a valley lo - Alaró. The main façade cated in a karstic depres - faces east and is clearly

61 The Clot d’Almadrà of stone, too. The chapel facilities, and the agricul - bridge is decorated with tural annex. Baroque paintings. Al - To the right of the The map created by most all of the details on main doorway there are Cardinal Antoni Despuig the façade have been cre - five windows with stone (1784) has an important ated with stone. The roof frames that are barred path marked on it which, is made with Arabic roof off with wrought iron, shortly before reaching tiles, and it has a bell and on the main floor, the Almadrà valley, gable with an oval arch. there are another four crosses a torrent with the The agricultural annex is windows with balconies. same name via a cobble - located in front of the The veranda on the top stone ford. Here, just be - main building and ap - floor has five horizontal fore getting to the houses pears to be totally aban - windows with relief at Son Ordines , Casa doned. In front of the frames. Above the en - d’Amunt , and Can Xalet , hayloft is a cistern that trance hall that connects a bridge rises up. It is ex - used to provide water to the outer doorway and actly where it is marked the house. the courtyard, there is a on the ancient map, and Completing the trian - terrace with an iron rail - it is held up by wide pil - gle is the 12 th -century Son ing. lars, suggesting that the Ordines d’Almadrà . Its The rectangular room torrent had, and still outer doorway, located that houses olive press is could have, intense peak asymmetrically on the located towards the back flowrates. Of the three side of the façade is of the courtyard and the rounded arches, two of topped with a rounded date “1769” appears on them are similar in size arch with a stone lintel the doorway. The press (2.7 meters high by 3.65 and a decorative is modern; it is made of meters wide), while the wrought iron feature. metal and uses hy - third is somewhat small - The outer doorway leads draulics. Next to this er (2.5 meters by 2.6 me - to an entrance hall pro - there is a room where ters). The arches have tected by an archway the oil is stored. In the stone bases and sand - that is connected to the center of the courtyard stone vaults, the rest of courtyard. there is a cistern. the structure is made out The houses are situat - of stone and mortar. Be - ed around this square Solleric S/1 6 tween the two identical cobblestone courtyard openings, at the base of where the stately houses Solleric is one of the the pillar, a semi-circular share the chapel (13 th- largest mountain proper - breakwater was built to century), the olive press ties, and the same can be split the current between the two archways. Can Xalet is another one of the buildings in this small village; it dates back to the 12 th -13 th -cen - turies . It is a three-story manor with irregularly distributed doors and windows. The main doorways are located on the right side of the main façade: one leads to the living space and is a rounded arch with a voussoirs and a keystone made of stone, the other leads to a chapel and has bases, jambs, and capi - tals with moldings made The main façade of Solleric

62 have been spotted (called colls in Catalan; Hunting Song it is from here that Catalan name for this hunting method, filats en coll , is derived). Thrushes Once the bird gets tangled in the net, the hunter brings the two poles together, clo - ne of the traditional methods of sing the net and thus trapping the bird. hunting in Majorca, and in particu - The hunting grounds, also called colls , Olar in the Tramuntana mountain have specific names derived from the range, involves the use of nets to capture names of hunters or characteristics of the Song Thrushes. This hundreds-of-years-old place: es Foradet, sa Roca, es Tubo, es Pins, en method is popular in Alaró, and to do it re - Marc, na Maria , etc. quires stringing a net between two long There are three times of day that are poles to capture the birds. The poles, good for hunting: at dawn, during the which are controlled by hand, connect the morning until midday, and in the evening net on both sides and can be up to seven from four o’clock until sunset. meters long. Renting out these hunting areas is one of The Song Thrush is a 24cm tall migratory the main sources of income for mountain bird that can be found on the island in au - properties. Some people pay up to €3,000 tumn and winter. During the day, the birds for one coll! make short flights between the trees near Song Thrushes are also used in a dish where they sleep and eat. Hunters take ad - typical to Alaró: thrushes with cabbage; it vantage of these daily movement patterns can only be enjoyed in private homes to capture the birds. They hold the poles in though, as the birds cannot be sold in res - the spaces between trees where the birds taurants. said for the houses asso - because of the area it to 710 hectares) and pro - ciated with it. The prop - covered, but also due to duced 120,000 tons of erty was known in the the number of people high quality olive oil, times of Muslim rule that worked there; it some of the most pro - under the name Alqueria provided permanent em - duced by any Majorcan Xular . It was also refer - ployment to between 50 estate. Archduke Ludwig enced in the 13 th and and 60 people, but those Salvator told of two olive 14 th -centuries when it numbers grew by 200- presses that existed on was given to the Guitard 300 when the olive har - the property, each with family after the Catalan vest came around. By the two large beam-sized conquest. end of the 19 th -century , levers. His comments Solleric was a large the estate covered 1000 speak to the importance mountain estate not just quarterades (equivalent of the olive oil industry.

63 In the 1950s, the estate Arabic roofing tiles. are wineskins and am - pioneered equestrian The building that hous - phorae. The floor is the breeding (specifically es the olive press can be original stonework. mules) via artificial in - seen by going from the Behind the buildings, semination. courtyard through a lin - there is a stable (1929) In 1966, Solleric teled archway. The press and a kiln. changed hands and be - was used up until the Among the water-relat - came the property of the 1980s, and some of the ed installations are a cis - Gilet family (current). original pieces have been tern, a square pool, and a Springs abound on the kept even though the water reservoir located estate ( Font de sa process was mechanized behind the house. Figuera, Fuente Blanca, in the 21 st century. The In front of the main Font des Verro, Fontasa building is divided into façade are a lawn and a d’Oliclar, Font de sa two rooms, in the first is fountain. An exterior Gruta, etc .) as do tradi - the machinery where the staircase, with the railing tional Song Thrush milling and the pressing and steps made out of hunting grounds, where occurs, the second is stone, leads to the outer the birds would be (and where the old deposits façade. On the railing still are) captured using are located and where there is a coat of arms nets. the olives were selected under which reads “ Any The outer doorway is and decanted. 1901 ” (Year 1901). made up of a basket arch The property has an A large amount of with jambs and molding. 18 th -century chapel stone was taken from One of the stairways on where the main doorway Solleric to help build the right-hand side of bears the family coat of some of the houses in the entrance goes down arms. The chapel itself the historic center of to the chapel (one of the has only one nave with a Alaró town as well as the three porticos that can semicircular apse that main altar in the be found on the proper - houses a Baroque wood - Església de Sant Bar - ty). en altar. The oratory is tomeu (Sant Bartomeu The buildings are situ - decorated with Baroque Church). ated around a cobble - frescos, and there is an stoned courtyard that di - organ above the choir. vides the old three-story The entrance to the Es Verger Q/1 8 residence of the lords of wine cellar is located the estate, the next to the outer door - On the way up to Alaró guest/workers quarters, way. The doorway to the Castle is the Es Verger the building for pressing cellar has a rounded estate, an old farmstead olives, the chapel (with arch, and inside there with Arabic origins. It an inscription from 1713), and the re - cently reno - vated farming annex. The front face and the windows and doors of the façade of the main resi - dence are built out of stone. The double- and single-sloped rooves are made with Alcadena

64 was an immense piece of land that is currently di - The lovers of Son Penyaflor vided into four different properties.The estate’s hey say that in the 14 th -century the love be - three houses are located tween Blanca, the daughter of an estate owner, in one area as attached Tand young Jordi, the new governor of Alaró castle blocks. The first is the was so extraordinary that the estate was given the name old farming annex which Son Penyaflor in their honor. has been turned into a Three times the father of the young girl, Arnau de Vila - restaurant. ragut Serralta, publicly forbade the marriage of the two The walls are white - because the young groom-to-be Jordi Unís Moncada washed and lined in was a supporter of Pedro el Ceremonioso, who seized grey. the Kingdom of Majorca from James III. But destiny Here, some of the most would thrice snub Don Arnau’s denials. noteworthy elements are When first refusing to give his daughters hand he pro - the old flour mill (from claimed, “loyal blood shall never be mixed with that of a which some pieces have traitor, the mountain sides will fall from the Castle before been preserved), part of I allow such a union!” an olive press, and a kiln. That same night, a strong storm dislodged part of the The olive press still has Alaró Peak cliﬀ face. the old hopper, the stone This enraged Arnau even further, so he declared, “from receptacles covered by these terrible rocks bought down by the powers of hell, half barrel vaults, and in flowers will grow before I consent to such a wicked the adjoining room there thing!” are stone and ceramic Sure enough, when spring came around, violets burst receptacles for storing forth from the fallen cliﬀs. the oil. The oil that was But even after this, Arnau still refused to give in. “I said produced in Es Verger that true loyal blood shall never be mixed with the tain - was highly valued in the ted blood of a traitor so long as I live!” area for its quality. And sure enough, the father of young Blanca died in Water related elements June, and in November, the bishop married the two lo - include a cistern, a pool, vers in the Cathedral of Palma. and a reservoir behind the houses ( camí des Pouet ). courtyard through an ar - portico there is a small Alcadena U/1 8 chitrave doorway with stone sculpture of the stone and wooden ash - Virgin Mary (against the The Alcadena estate is lars. The façade of the wall of the main house) located on the southern main house is divided and some stone wash side of Puig de s’Alcade - into three levels, and basins. A linteled door - na (s’Alcadena Peak), doorways and windows way leads to the olive from which it gets its are distributed evenly press room, where some name. across it. of the main pieces of the The houses located on The main doorway is a original machine have the property are, as with rounded sandstone arch been conserved: the hop - the majority of estates in with jambs and a lintel per, the drum, the wood - Alaró, situated around a carved out of stone; the en beam press, the caul - cobblestoned courtyard. rest of the doorway is dron for heating water, The buildings include made out of antique and a large rectangular the house of the lords, wood. All of the windows stone receptacle where the building for olive on the front of the build - the oil was decanted. pressing, a set of farming ing are framed with annexes, stables, and a pieces of stone. Son Penyaflor Q/1 9 house for seasonal work - To the left of the main ers which has been re - façade is a portico with The first text that doc - formed into a ware - wooden beams that is umented the existence of house. supported by ornament - these houses is from Visitors enter the ed columns. Under the 1345, and it makes refer - 65 ence to the estate as the property of Ramón de The camí de Bànyols (The Penyaflor, even though the surname is known to Bànyols walkway) have existed since short - his is the cart path that joined the road to Raiguer ly after the Reconquesta with the Bànyols estate. It was described as early as (“reconquering”). In Tthe 17th century, and was made public in 1861. 1967, the property was Throughout the years it has been known by various names: bought by the current camí de Binissalem a Alaró per Terragrossa , camí de los Moli - owners. ners , and camí de Bànyols . Currently, it is still the shortest Son Penyaflor can be path between the municipalities of Binissalem and Alaró. reached by the path that There is an important piece of cultural heritage along the leads up to Alaró Castle. path: a 100-meter stretch of pristinely constructed stone The trail to the houses walk way. It lies on the border of the two municipalities. Re - leads to the outer door - garding the farmland and other buildings that make up way with a stone lintel, Bànyols , the old olive press can be found almost entirely in - above which appears a tact along with the feeding troughs in the courtyard, a kiln plaque with the inscrip - alongside the house, a hayloft, a pigeon loft, a stable, a large tion “ Mare de Déu del water tank, and a cistern. Refugi, pregau per noltros ” (Mother of God, Virgin of the Refuge, entrance to the oratory traved doorway with pray for us). which still houses an stone jambs and a stone The house of the lords, altar dating from 1712. lintel about which lies a the guest/workers’ quar - The main house faces sundial. ters, the chapel, a portico southeast and is divided Today, as in days past, with a kiln, a set of farm - into a ground floor, a an indigenous race of ing annexes, and the main floor, and an attic. Majorcan sheep is still sheep pen are all located The walls are made out bred and raised on the around the cobblestoned of stone and mortar, and property. courtyard. The whole set the windows and door - Only the stone grind - of buildings (especially the ways on the main façade ing wheel from the olive annexes, which are now are asymmetrically dis - press has been pre - used for agro-tourism) un - tributed. Of note is the served. The houses also derwent largescale reno - rounded arch doorway have a covered reservoir vations in 1966. with stone voussoirs. and two springs. Once through the outer In front of the house, doorway, a rounded there is an old ware - Son Curt Q/1 9 arched entrance hall house that has been leads to the main court - turned into a lounge This property is also lo - yard. To the left is the area. It has an archi - cated on the way up to

Inside the houses at Son Penyaflor

66 (house for the workers), the main floor (for the lords of the estate), and the attic. There is a linteled doorway that has jambs topped with molding which leads into the main building. Set into one side of the doorway is a stone bench, and on the other side there is a poyo , a stone support for helping one mount a horse. Both stone ashlars The Son Curt library and sandstone were used in building the main Alaró Castle, and still has one block are divided façade. some 17 th -century pieces. into three distinct build - Among the elements In 1776, the estate ings. The central smaller habitually found in local changed hands and Joan one has a certain irregu - estates, Son Curt still Sampol y Ribas de Cabr - larity to its façade as the boasts an olive press era became the owner. main part seems slightly with most of its pieces. His decedents still own recessed from the rest of In addition to the cis - the property. it. The houses have three tern, the houses get The houses, set up as floors, the ground floor water from a pool which fills up with water from a canal that is connected to the font de Son Curt The production of oil (Son Curt Spring). he majority of estates counted their olive presses among their most valuable and basic installations. Bànyols Q/2 3 TThey were used to extract precious oil, a liquid that was as good as money when it came to trading, which Bànyols was once a was important between mountain farms. farmstead, and it has its roots in the medieval Collecting olives always took place by hand and was Muslim period when it done when the olives were mature and ready to fall oﬀ was called Baniuls . It the tree by themselves. It was a laborious task that requi - made up part of Guillem red the eﬀorts of a large number of manual laborers for Puigdorfila’s cavalry. A many months of the year as the harvesters passed local mosque was built, through the olive groves in various waves. and part of it survived up Once in the pressing room, the olives were milled: they to the 14 th -century . Even were spread out on the stone milling slab where they in modern times, Arabic were ground down into a paste. The grinding wheels, or ceramics dating back to trulls , were turned by mules and eventually—in the se - the 13 th -century can still cond half of the 20 th -century —by electric motors. be found near the hous - Then, the paste was placed between esportins (circular es. The property was in - pressing mats made out of esparto grass) which were cluded in the Llibre del then placed one on top of another in order to retain the Repartiment (Land Dis - pulp and strain the oil and water. tribution Registry). As Using a long beam or a press, pressure was applied to ex - with many other proper - tract the liquid content of the olive mash from the espor - ties in the area, this one tins . Sometimes, they were even passed through hot has a series of buildings water to encourage the oil to separate from the paste. situated around an inte - Finally, the oil was left to rest and decant, thus separating rior courtyard, including, the main house, the the watery medium from the olive oil. workers’ quarters, and

67 To the left of the main doorway is the entrance to the chapel: a classic portico supported by cor - nices and pilasters with moldings. Inside, the chapel’s roof displays ex - posed beams and hollow clay tiles painted with plant and figurative mo - tifs. On the side walls there are images of reli - gious figures. Some of the former bedrooms in the main building, which was the Bànyols old house of the lords, have painted vault ceil - ings, or rooves with the agricultural annexes. convention hall, a design beams and colored ce - The outer façade has two workshop, etc. During the ramic tiles. stories: a ground floor and renovation the shape of In the middle of the an attic. The doorways the original structure was, central courtyard, there is and windows are distrib - for the most part, kept as a fountain with an octag - uted symmetrically. it was. More modern ma - onal base on a circular The outer doorway is a terials, such as glass and slab and a Gothic cistern. rounded arch with stone iron, were used to starkly voussoirs. The jambs are made out of three pieces of stone, and on top of the doorway: the Bànyols’ coat of arms.

Son Fortesa Q/2 1

In 1818, Pedro Maza de Limaza, Marquis of la Ro - mana, sold Son Fortesa to Antoni Rosselló Pizà. The last renovations were carried out recently by the well-known architect Rafael Moneo, who Son Fortesa turned the building into the corporate headquar - differentiate new ele - Some pieces, such as ters of the footwear com - ments from the original the stone receptacles, still pany Camper. ones. The main doorway remain from the olive The property is organ - is a voussoired rounded press. Above the doorway ized around a cobble - arch with jambs all made that leads to the olive stoned courtyard, where out of sandstone, and it is press room is the date the main buildings, now topped with the Zaforteza “1638.” rehabilitated and reno - family’s coat of arms vated to house the corpo - (dated 1818). rate headquarters of the The outer façade of the well-known company building has several clas - S’ Olivaret S/1 8 Camper. The agricultural sically styled, well-built annexes have been repur - windows with stone The houses at s’Olivaret posed into administrative molding on the cornices were first referenced in offices, meeting spaces, a and thresholds. 1312, when Pere de Cen -

68 telles, the procurator for window that displays the that goes from one side of the viscount of Bearn, Berga family’s coat of the doorway to the other. gave part of the farmland arms is set into the same There is a system for col - that made up Solleric to wall. Around the court - lecting water that takes Pere Guitard , and the yard are the houses of the advantage of the sloped newly created property lords, the guest/worker terrain. It includes a well, was given the name that it house, a granary, and a a pool, water tanks, and bears to this day. In the building for storing carob. canals, all designed to 16 th -century it was ac - Almost all doors and store water and irrigate quired by Mateu Montan - windows facing the court - crops. er, and it has remained in yard are linteled and The agricultural annex - his family since then. In framed in sandstone with es were built in the same 2000, the property un - molding. During the ren - style as the rest of the derwent a significant ren - ovation an enclosed bal - buildings, but they have ovation in which the old cony with rounded open - been adapted to be used buildings were trans - for agro-tourism. formed into a rural hotel. Archduke Ludwig Sal - The building is divided vator described Son into three parts. The cen - Berga : “This property ex - tral body is the main one, hibits a small Renais - and it has three stories: a sance window and a ground floor, a main rounded arch doorway floor, and a top floor. The topped with a sundial windows and doors are dating from 1756. It is laid out symmetrically. worth mentioning the Inside, on the ground small courtyard with the floor, some parts of the crest of the Bergues fami - old olive press have been ly and the small chapel. kept since 1762, and now Sa Teulera In front of the entrance, they serve as decorations next to the flower garden, in what is today the hotel ings and which is sup - a large hackberry proudly bar. ported by corbels was rises.” built. Son Bergues S/1 9 The doorway that leads Sa Teulera Vella N/2 1 or Son Berga to the main house still has its Renaissance design: The houses of this 13 th- Son Bergues is a 17 th- thin columns with a clas - century estate can be ac - century estate that was sical order on plinths sup - cessed from the main redeveloped in a regional - porting a lintel that dis - rounded arch doorway ist postwar style in 1950. plays the coat of arms in with sandstone voussoirs, The project was carried the center which distin - stone jambs, and lintel. out by the architect Carles guishes the nobility of the The small cobblestoned Garau Tornabells. Berga family, all made courtyard also serves a In the 18 th -century , la out of sandstone. On top foyer to the main house, casa Berga was passed of this there is a small the workers’ quarters, the on to the family of Can apse with a figure of St. old doorway to the olive Vallès d’Almadrà , and Anthony. pressing room (which still eventually the Marquises There are two ways to has some well conserved of Solleric . access the bedrooms from pieces), and the room The property’s houses the courtyard: an exterior with the oil receptacles. are grouped around a stairway attached to the Sitting over the main central courtyard along wall and a segmented house is the original sun - with agricultural annexes sandstone archway with a dial. Other buildings, like and the animal pens. groin vault bridge. the chapel, the stables, The main doorway is Of note on the back fa - and the flour mill (which encircled by stone, and çade are the buttresses still has the majority of its above it a sundial stands and a poyo (stone sup - parts) are attached to the out. A Renaissance style port for mounting horses) main structure.

69 The distinguished façade has three stories (ground floor, main floor, and an attic), and the doors and windows have a regular layout. The doorway is a rounded arch with stone voussoirs and jambs. To the right of the doorway is a round- framed window and above that a window with the shape of a rounded arch, perhaps added much later than the rest of the others. The rest of the windows and doors are framed with em - Pont Trencat bossed strips and ledges with molding. reference to the Pont The system begins at th The chapel is located to - Trencat in the 16 centu - the Ses Artigues Spring in wards the back of the ry. It also appears drawn front of the Ses Artigues lords’ house and is ac - on a map from the end of estate, a little more than th cessed from a porch with the 17 century. During one kilometer to the three pointed-horseshoe- the next 100 years many north of the town center. shaped arches with cylin - repairs had to be made to Historically, the spring drical columns and capi - the bridge due to the ris - provided water to Alaró tals with plant and ing water of the torrent— along with a set of flour Corinthian motifs. this is probably where the mills and reservoirs via Among the water-relat - name comes from. It was cisterns and a pumping ed features on the proper - recently restored, and the system. ty are a water tank, a space next to it was A large number of an - pool, and a cistern. The turned into a recreation cient installations related water tank has an open - area. The bridge is made to this water system still ing on the side of the of its up of only one rounded remain in the town. The half barrel vault, and the arch which is built out of large water tanks are lo - tank itself is connected to sandstone, stone ashlars, cated on the following the pool by a stone canal and mortar. It is the point streets ( carrers ): Son that drains into the pool that separates the munici - Rafalet, Ca na Fara, from over a rounded palities of Alaró and Con - Pujol, Síquia, Son Sitges, arch. A cistern with an oc - sell. and es Pontarró . There tagonal shape was in - are also tanks in the Clas - stalled in the courtyard tra de Son Tugores . The and inscribed with the The Ses cisterns in plaça Cabrit i date 1778. Bassa (1866) and on car - Artigues water rer des Porrassar are no - system P/1 8 table for their architectur - Pont Trencat al value. Original wheel (the Broken Use of the Ses Artigues pumps can be found on Spring goes back to the the following streets: Can Bridge) Q/2 4 Muslim era, though the Pintat, Porrassar , and majority of installations Can Manyoles . This bridge was built designed for water storage Throughout the town over the Solleric torrent (tanks and cisterns) come there is another set of to allow for the path to from the 19 th century; it points where water could Raiguer to connect with was referenced in the 1232 be collected, but they no the old roadway from Capbreu (legal document longer have working Consell to Alaró. Josep assigning property rights) pumps; they are located Mascaró Passarius made of Gastón de Bearn. in Son Borràs , plaça

70 Cabrit i Bassa in the Los running through the mill, came from the Ca Na Damunt neighborhood, a small canal carried the Fara mill. in the plaça de la Vila , water to nearby crops. Son Bieló can be found and on the following Water no longer flows at carrer de Son Sitges , streets: Porrassar , Sant through here, as the origi - number 11. In the Son Vicenç Ferrer, Can Pin - nal circuit has been di - Bieló houses, ruins of the tat, Son Antelm , Solleric , verted. waterway, which are cur - and Can Manyoles . rently covered by a metal The fountain in the plaça de la Vila is located on the cistern which pro - vides it with water, and on it the year 1742 ap - pears in sgraffito. The fountain is located under the portico of the town hall, which dates to the mid-20 th century when the fountain was moved here. The water system also includes three public wash-houses: two small ones in the Los Damunt neighborhood ( Son Rafalet and Ca na Fara ) and one larger one on The Moli de Sa Font (Sa Font Mill) carrer Pontarró . It is worth noting that Molí de Ca Na Fara grate, can be seen. They great focus was placed on is located at carrer de na are still used for drainage. the mills. After the feudal Fara, number 33. The Only part of the mill has conquest, ten water mills mill has almost disap - survived, the rest has col - were described, but peared as it has been lapsed. today, only eight have overrun by the house’s survived, and they are in vegetable garden. Only Molí de Son Vidal is various states of disre - remains from this ancient at carrer Síquia , num - pair. structure are present: one bers 21-23. Remains of Because water was so wall of the tower, a basin the mill and part of the precious, these mills used covered by concrete, the waterway are located in covered water canals to ruins of a waterway the main room in the fill a reservoir which (which has a modern house. Part of the covered would then provide ade - water pipe laid in it), and water way leading from quate water flow. From a covered canal from the the reservoir has been there the water flowed mill that is very poor con - preserved, as have the down from a height onto dition. milling stones, the water the mill machinery. wheel, and the water de - Following the waterway Molí de Son Borràs , posit. from the spring, the mills which is located at carrer are situated as follows: de Son Borràs , numbers Son Tugores is locat - Molí de Sa Font , 9-11, dates back to the ed at carrer clastra de which was installed in a medieval Muslim era, like Son Tugores (no num - square tower and can be the other mills. Part of the ber). From Son Vidal , the seen from the Ses Ar - water system connecting waterway runs into the tigues pathway. The the reservoir to the mill large Son Tugores reser - milling machinery has has been preserved. The voir (35 by 5 meters). Part been preserved inside, waterway continued from of the waterway that con - and the milling stones are above this reservoir to the tinues on to Son Berní is on display outside. After Son Bieló reservoir and visible on the façade of

71 the houses. The old mill pool. The second larger Es Molinàs is the last that was once housed mill is integrated into the mill, and it is located at here has been kept up by Son Ibert houses, and carrer Manyoles, num - the Alaró town hall. only the outer walls re - ber 177. Visible are the main. Some elements 1.25-meter wide and 3- Molí de Son meter high water - Berní on pas - way, the covered satge de Son canal which has Berní (no num - now been fitted ber) is a mill with with modern two rectangular pipework, and the buildings, right milling stones. The next to each estate has been re - other. Not much cently reformed al - is left of them ex - though the garden cept the ruins of that was irrigated the main canal by the waterway and another still remains. smaller canal (65cm wide and The mills have 45cm deep) undergone many which can be ac - changes through - cessed by climb - out the years. ing ten steps. You Many of them have can also see the been aban - part of the water - The pump on carrer de Can Manyoles doned or re - way that led to converted: one the reservoir. from the two mills still was transformed into a remain, like the milling paper factory that was Molí de Son Ibert is stones. The 100-meter used from the end of the located on carrer de Son long and 1.5-meter wide 19 th to the beginning of Ibert (no number). The waterway comes from the 20 th century. estate originally had two Son Berní , links the first mills and one water way; and second Son Ibert but, only pieces are left mills, and then continues of the first mills, and the towards es Molinàs. reservoir has been turned into a swimming 72

Alaró and its 6 festivals

The celebrations that take place in the Los Damunt and Los Davall neighborhoods are deeply rooted in the town’s history. And throughout the years, new activities have been incorpo - rated into the celebrations and fused with traditional ones.

must make your way 1998 when they had January through to any of the their first correfoc (liter - St. Anthony grills that are set up and ally “fire-run”). During (Sant Antoni ) share one of the grilled this event a large group January 17 delicacies along with a of individuals dress up as glass of local wine. devils and light fire - On this same night, crackers in the streets. The celebrations sur - Alaró’s Colla de Dimonis They march and dance rounding St. Anthony, (group of Devils) makes to the rhythm of drums, patron saint of animals, their first appearance of and they chase specta - are carried out in large the new year. tors under the light part on the eve of the of made by their sparkling the feast, that is, the Los Dimonis d’Alaró firecrackers. night of January 16. The (the Devils of Alaró) A large part of the per - inhabitants of Alaró grill Fire is a universal sym - formance is centered local sausages ( llonga - bol that leads to uneasi - around Na Marranxa, a nisses and botifarrons ) ness and wonder, and it monster that comes over the countless fire is intrinsically linked to from the depths of hell pits that are lit in the the world of the devil. spitting fire! She is rep - middle of the town’s The Dimonis perform - resented by a fantastical streets. While there, you ance in Alaró began in magic bat who in name

75 Over these days, various processions take place, and many different reli - gious fraternities and sororities participate, each carrying a figure of Jesus or the Virgin Mary accompanied by a scene from the Passion. Throughout the Holy Week, and until Easter, the celebration com - memorates the resurrec - tion of Jesus Christ. There are five fraterni - ties in Alaró: Virgen del Silencio (dressed in black with twine belts), Nuestra Señora de la Es - Fire on the eve of the Feast of St. Anthony (Sant Antoni) peranza (dressed in green), Sagrado Corazón alone strikes fear in chil - ny, characterized as a her - dren and takes form to mit, and the whole group participate in the beastly is chased by a devil. spectacle. In the afternoon on the There is a group of day of the Feast of St. An - young children dedicated thony, the town cele - to replicating all of the de - brates Ses Beneïdes, an tails organized by the ancient celebration in adults, including a Na which pet owners—in - Marranxeta, a smaller stead of the shepherds of version of the monstrous days gone by—bring their bat. animals to the Sant Bar - These dances with the tomeu Church so that the devil take place three priest may be sprinkle times during the year in them with holy water in Alaró: on the eve of the order to protect them Feast of St. Anthony (16 from harm during the fol - Holy Week Procession January), the Feast of St. lowing year. Roch (16 August), and during the autumn festi - de Jesús (dressed in val at the beginning of March red), Virgen de Lourdes October. (dressed in sky blue), The group of Dimonis April and Verge del Refugi from Alaró participate in (dressed in black with performances all over Easter white hoods). Between Majorca, in fairs, festivals, them, they carry four and other events whenev - As is customary in the passos processionals er they are invited. majority of Spain, in Ma - (elaborate religious The festivities sur - jorca religious events are floats depicting an rounding St. Anthony are widely celebrated. episode of the Passion of announced days before - The Holy Week repre - Christ). hand by the picarolada , sents the most intense The processions are the youngest Dimonis , time of celebration in the held on the nights of who weave through the Catholic Church, and it Holy Thursday and Good town’s streets ringing serves to remember the Friday. cowbells. They are ac - Passion, death, and res - On Easter Sunday, companied by St. Antho - urrection of Jesus Christ. early in the morning, at

76 the intersection known The dance of the as Sa Creu (the cross), Cossiers the passo processional that represents Jesus The dance of the meeting his mother Cossiers is one of the (called la processó del oldest dances still prac - Encuentro ) takes place. ticed in Majorca. It has The pieces that are pa - been documented back raded through the to at least the 16 th -centu - streets are original 18 th- ry . The Archduke Lud - century carvings. wig Salvator (19 th -centu - Pancaritat at the Castle ry ) described the Pancaritat : Cossiers in detail in his the Feast of the Angel book Die Balearem, Cossiers (traditional Ma - which he wrote while he jorcan dancers) dance On the Sunday after was traveling around the through the streets of the Easter, the Feast of the Balearic Islands. There Los Damunt neighbor - Angels is celebrated by has been much specula - hood. This group of hundreds of people who tion as to the origin of seven dancers, accompa - participate in a religious the term “Cossier,” and nied by a Devil figure, pilgrimage to Alaró cas - one of the most plausible make their way through tle. conjectures suggests that the streets while putting it comes from cós: the on four traditional area in a town where dances that have stood local races are run. This May the test of time. These theory is given credit as performances are a mix the ribbons that hang The May Feast between dance and the - from their waistbands of the Virgin ater in which the Dame could be considered Mary figure sings as a scene prizes from previous plays out around her. races set up along the cós On the last Saturday of They always end with a exclusively for the May, to celebrate the final act in which the dancers. Month of Maria, the Devil is defeated.

The Cossiers dance in the Los Damunt neighborhood

77 The origin of the vas shoes—called alpar - who is the patron saint Cossiers’ dance is very gatas , and a sash run - of Alaró. old. It has been related ning across the chest), The only way to enjoy to archaic dances of ado - they do differ slightly be - the dances put on by the ration and worship cere - tween municipalities. In Cossiers of Alaró is to see monies of farming Alaró, the dancers or - them up close. Then, you deities. Obviously, they ganize themselves in can see the dancers’ have been changed pairs according to color: most significant and in - throughout the cen - red, pink, and sky blue. tricate elements and turies, most notably in The hats they wear are movements. the dress, rhythm, and Baroque in style, and at organization of the one point, similar vest - June dance. The Cossiers ments were common for evolved and coexisted all dancers. It is a kind of St. Peter with the appearance of crown or miter made out (Sant Pere ) different religions, thus of rigid cardboard with June 29 becoming colored camou - fabric to The patron saint of the flaged to match the Los Damunt neighbor - ensure color of the hood is St. Peter, and their sur - rest of the during the days leading vival. In dress, and up to June 29, various Alaró the it is activities and festivities dance was adorned are carried out in cele - recovered with small bration. in 1992 sequins These celebrations also after and bells, serve to mark the begin - decades of flowers, ning of summer. They being for - and five are almost exclusively gotten. large participated in by local Six woolen tas - residents of Alaró. dancers sels. Thanks to this and the (the so- The Feast of St. Peter The setting in which they called (Sant Pere) Dame take place, they are remi - Cossiers) and the Dame wears a very lady-like niscent of festivals that (who oversees the move - blouse and organdy skirt took place long ago in ments) participate in the with white lace and col - Majorcan villages. performance. Another ored strips of fabric. She figure, the Devil, comple - also has a straw hat. ments the Cossiers. He is Years ago, the Cossiers represented by a person had many dances, but August dressed in a burlap suit only a few have been re - covered with red and yel - covered recently: La St. Roch low strips of fabric and Processó (the Proces - (Sant Roc ) wearing horns and a sion) , L’Oferta (the Of - August 16 mask. He distracts spec - fering) , Sa Cadena (the tators by leaping and Chain) , and La Gentil The festival for the pa - twirling about and occa - Senyora (the Gentle - tron saint of Alaró is cel - sionally crashing his woman) . They are ac - ebrated during the week huge club down onto the companied by only two preceding August 16, the ground. Of course, he is songs. day that commemorates careful not to hurt the In Alaró, the Cossiers the 17 th -century eradica - young and old spectators only perform twice per tion of the plague by St. watching the perfor- year: during the Festa de Roch as he answered the mance. la Mare de Déu de Maig prayers of the faithful. While all Cossiers’ out - (May’s Feast of the Vir - This is an intense week fits are similar (with gin Mary) and the Au - of fun and cultural activ - strips of fabric, similar gust 16 festa de Sant Roc ities, including: the bolo-style ties, kilts, can - (the Feast of St. Roch), dances of the Cossiers, 78 The gegants during the Feast of St. Roch (Sant Roc) the Corregudes de Joies joies or jewels hung from plaça de la Vila , and the (the races of the jewels), green rods. track winds through var - las Carrosses , the reli - The races are run to ious points in the town gious procession, the ap - the tune of traditional center. They even have a pearance of the Cabrit music which employs the little dance in front of and Bassa Gegants (lit - flabiol (a 25cm long the Mayor’s residence. erally “Giants,” these woodwind flute), the Part of the tradition in - large clothed papier- tamborí (a small percus - volves organizing races mâché figures exclusively for the represent the fa - members of the mous martyrs Cossiers. from Alaró, Cabrit and Bassa), perfor- Floats mances by the Dimonis , open- Since 1973, on air art exhibi - the day preceding tions, and vari - the Feast of St. ous concerts and Roch (August 15), a open-air dances. typical summer carnival parade The Cossiers takes place. Alaró and Carreres residents dress up de Joies (the Floats in a parade and parade down races of the je - the street in floats wels) sion instrument), and ranging from classically- xeremies (bagpipes). styled to purely fantasti - During the feast of the The competition be - cal, and decorated with patron saint, St. Roch, gins with a race among fun, socially critical, or on August 16, at midday, the Cossiers, this also satirical elements. After the traditional Carreres marks the end of their the parade, prizes are de Joies are held. They morning dances. This awarded to the top par - are a series of races with race starts at 10 o’clock ticipants. prizes for the winners— in the morning in the

79 Crafts on sale at the autumn fair

The procession 25cm long woodwind Fairs and flute), the tamborí (a During the afternoon small percussion instru - Markets on the day of the Feast of ment), and xeremies Weekly markets St. Roch a religious pro - (bagpipes). The larger cession centered around than life figures meet up Every Saturday morning, the image of St. Roch in the main plaza with the plaça de la Vila turns (which is known locally other gegants from vari - into a marketplace by the diminutive “ Sant ous towns. There ends where visitors can find Roquet ” due to its size) up being more than 30 all sorts of foods and ar - takes place. It goes ac - for both young and old tisanal products from companied by the to enjoy. Alaró, as well as the lat - Cossiers through the The festivities sur - est in fashion, and even streets in the town cen - rounding the patron flowers and plants. ter. saint end with a correfoc (literally “fire-run”) in The autumn fair The Gegants of Alaró the plaça de la Vila . and the Dimonis During this event, people At the beginning of Octo - dressed up as Dimonis ber, the autumn craft fair Since the year 2000, (devils) chase spectators puts on display a varied two new figures have with fire crackers and sample of the wide range been included into the dance about to the of local handiwork. In town’s festivities and cel - rhythm of drums. the most recent in - ebrations: the gegants stances, both recreation - (literally “Giants,” huge al and commercial activi - papier-mâché and September ties (for example, cook - clothed figures) of Cabrit ing shows and tastings of and Bassa. The Nativity of local wines) have been They measure more the Virgin Mary incorporated into fair to than four meters tall and liven it up. represent the folk heroes On the first Sunday in who valiently defended September the Feast of Alaró Castle. The ge - the Nativity of the Virgin gants parade about ac - Mary is celebrated with a companied by music hike up to Alaró Castle from traditional instru - and a communal meal in ments: the flabiol (a front of the oratory.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

The original version of this text was written in Spanish, and thus this English version is an adapted version of the Spanish one. This caused occasional inconsistencies as the places, events, names, and features pertaining to Alaró are typically written and spoken in Catalan. For consistency’s sake, and to make it easier for reader’s to communicate with locals and better understand the environment, place names were (generally) left in Catalan. As the document will often be read only partially, the names of streets, pla - zas, geographical features, etc., as well as non-place-name Catalan words have been italicized throughout the docu - ment. The names of specific establishments, people, and towns, as well as English translations for place names are not italicized. index

1. Alaró and its geography 1 2. The roots of Alaró 5 3. Walking around Alaró 15 CENTER OF TOWN 16 ALARÓ CASTLE 40 WALK FROM SES ARTIGUES TO ORIENT 52

4. Alaró’s natural herritage 57

5. Alaró, memories etched in stone 61

6. Alaró and its festivals 75

Alaró: map of the town center 82 Alaró: map of the municipality 84

Alaró Travel Guide Publisher: Ajuntament d’Alaró Photography: Giorgio Gatti, Maria Antònia Miró, Lola Gómez, B. Ramon, Joan Vicenç Lillo, Al rum archives and the Town Hall archives. Ilustrations: Miquel Jaume Layout: Noguera English translation: Daniel Mosblack

DL: PM 1103-2016