Mallorca

"If we leave Santanyí along Carrer de Palma street heading towards Campos, we cross the vast plain behind the other one in a straight line, with Puig Gros to our right.

Campos, a town with 3,238 inhabitants and 920 houses, 22 of which seem abandoned, is perhaps the one which best represents the classic style found in towns on Mallorca’s plain. The majority of houses are dark in color, 33 are two stories tall and the rest just one. Some have a trailing vine at their door. Many have a very old air to them, with a small tower and sometimes Gothic windows. There are also larger houses with a more majestic presence, such as the one belonging to the Barceló family.

There is still a church in Campos, the San Francisco de Paula Church belonging to the Mínimos convent founded in 1607, with a beautiful Renaissance portal. Its capitals are occupied by cherubs and the tympanum decorated with a small statue of the saint and two floral vases. Up high on the facade is a modest rosette though no windows. On the left is a tower lacking any grace whatsoever. The sober interior has a barrel vault ceiling with two steps leading up to the main altar and four pointed side chapels with Baroque altars. To our right is the entrance through a half-point arch.

The most interesting thing about Campos, without doubt, are its thermal springs found only 7 km to the south. No one knows who discovered them nor when they were first used. Some say that they were known about in the times of the Romans, but there is no authentic documentary basis to prove it. It wasn’t until after the Conquest and due to the many and prodigious cures taking place here that some houses were built along with a church dedicated to Saint Sylvester and Saint Coloman, the protectors against leprosy.

We can say that work to expand and improve the establishment has not stopped since 1844, but, despite the lack of means, it still doesn’t have the category demanded in these modern times. Worth noting is that, within certain limits, it is truly comfortable and appropriate. The current building still consists of a single story with two parallel pavilions with 26 rooms. 7 of these are large and can hold up to 50 people. The rooms connect to a transversal corridor which, well furnished and with a piano, also serves as a meeting room. The attached area for baths has 18 cabins with bathtubs made of marble from Binissalem, 6 of which also have a shower. There is an excellent restaurant which provides three categories of daily menus: the first costs 13 reales and 80 cents; the second, 10 reales; and the third, 5 reales and 22 cents (in francs that is 6.63, 2.63 and 1.37, respectively).

Very close to the baths, only 30-40 m from the thermal springs or what was once known as the Bassa de ses Estanques, is the small Sant Joan de la Font Santa Church to whose maintenance the alms given by those visiting the baths support along with the sale of images of Saint John the Baptist and the Mother of God.

It’s difficult to calculate the amount of water the spring provides every hour, though, like an inexhaustible well, it always seems to maintain the same level of water. Without doubt, it must be a very abundant source. The thermal water is limpid and doesn’t have any special color. But, no matter how often the water is refreshed and even from a certain distance of their source, the springs have an intense smell of sulfur, especially on quiet and hot days, less so when it rains or the wind is blowing.

A rough path spotted with “clapers” (stone mounds) amongst lush mastics and junipers takes you from the baths to the “salobrar” (lagoon) located near Cap Salines cape.

(Ph. 400B)

After Albufera, Campos’ “salobrar” is the largest on the island. With the start of the rains, a salty lake forms, including the land that’s flooded, reaching up to 400 hectares with a perimeter of 11-12 km. This marsh, on the side facing the sea, is bordered by dunes populated by junipers, mastics, heather and other bushes, in addition to some young pine treas. On the other side are Campos’ tilled fields. It can be considered the bed of a wide canal between two pine groves, the Sa Barrala and Sa Canova groves. We can distinguish three sections on its surface. The first, called Trenc, is between the sandy area and peaks of Cap Salines. It includes a small lagoon with an irregular shape and reflective surface of 11 hectares. The second, a lagoon proper and much larger in size, is divided in two by a type of road separating the Estanc de Baix (lower pond) from the Estanc d’Enmig (middle pond), extending from the lagoon’s promontory to the small Sa Barrala and Sa Canova forests, with a surface area of 128 hectares. The third, found between the latter and Campos’ fields, by contrast, is the largest of the three sections, with a surface area of 262 hectares.

When the rains come, in particular if they’re heavy, the “salobrar” takes on the appearance of a single large lagoon. However, the water level drops little by little with the growing evaporation until disappearing at the end of June or early July, leaving nothing behind but some damp areas or isolated puddles which resist until the rain cycle begins again.

Since the “salobrar” harms Campos’ Font Santa de Sant Joan baths, only 100 m away, the County Council has repeatedly considered the possibility of draining it, a project even studied by Bouvy in 1845 with the corresponding unpublished report stored in the Council’s archives.

To get to Llucmajor from Campos, we first take Carrer Nou street and, after a row a windmills and a path on the left from the same origin, we cross a flood plain that is reddish in color and somewhat rocky. Beautiful vineyards and numerous tilled fields bordered by dry stone walls then come into view.

Llucmajor has 7,640 inhabitants and 2,392 houses, 217 of which are abandoned. Along with Manacor, it is the biggest town on the island. Its healthy location on raised ground contributes to giving it a truly attractive and pleasant air which is difficult to describe. The houses are small, dark and earth-colored. 64 of them consist of two stories and the rest just one. They have a half-point arch portal and are made of stone blocks. They have small windows with sills. Here and there they’re decorated with trailing vine up to the corbel above the door.

After Palma’s Cathedral, the church here is the largest on the island. The main facade has no decoration in particular, a rosette with colored glass, a narrow tympanum and, off to the right, a somewhat airy and pretty tower rising up to 190.96 m above sea level. The interior measures 66 paces long and is laid out like a Latin cross with not very pretty arms due to how short they are. The transept is crowned by a dome with four round windows. The main altar is dedicated to the Archangel Michal and found in a small chapel to which 7 steps lead. There are six chapels on each side of the nave. The first one on the right is used as a side entrance. Over the main one is the choir, a gallery held up by two large columns.

The Sant Francesc d’Assís Church, found on Placeta del Convent, belongs to the Renaissance-style Franciscanos Observantes de San Bonaventura monastery founded in 1600. The main facade has a portal with a marble statue and a rosette, an angel up high and an eagle beautifully framed below. To the right is a square tower with an upper terrace and small dome with windows on each side. The interior consists of a simple barrel vault ceiling, similar to that of the main church, but with the figures of the Virtues painted in rough chiaroscuro in the different fields. There are four chapels on both sides. A fifth space is occupied by two doors. Three steps lead up to the main altar. There are Baroque decorations everywhere.

Llucmajor’s tallest point is Puig de Randa at 548.75 m. It is visible from any point on the island’s plain. In other times, it was chosen by Blessed Ramón Llull as his refuge and “hort” (garden), currently including three sanctuaries. The closest of these to Llucmajor is the Gràcia sanctuary, connected by means of a comfortable road. It is only 5.5 km away and sits on the slope of the mountain facing the town, to the south.

The inn includes two rows of segmental arches, three on each side, and a domed sandstone cover. It has five windows, three gargoyles and, attached, the church with bell tower and an ogive arch up high, a round window and rectangular portal. The church’s upper terrace provides a magnificent view of the impressive cliffs around which Egyptian vultures make their nests.

The stone church, with rounded doors and windows, has a simple barrel vault ceiling supported on four arches. It measures 15 m from the portal to the presbytery, the latter measuring 3 m long by seven wide. It has two wedge-shaped finishes with false windows on the side, a main altar chapel and four side ones with low arches. One of these is used as a door. In one of the chapels on the left is an old image of Saint Ann. Two more chapels can be found under the choir. The one containing a small organ has a keystone bearing the date, 1819. The chapel to the left under the choir corresponds to the original cave where the Mother of God image was first venerated. According to tradition, the image disappeared and returned three times. On the main altar is a highly venerated and old, though recently painted wood carving of the Virgin. On the border of her cloak we can read various Gothic letters.

A path quickly turns left, heading towards the road. It’s passable but in very poor condition. It crosses the valley and approaches Puig de Randa transversally between two deep side ravines.

Turning right after crossing the “coll” (pass) we come to a path which runs next to two small chapels with their respective wood crosses. It then climbs through the horizontal strata of the slope towards the Sant Honorat hermitage, belonging to the town of Algaida 5.2 km away.

In front of the church is a small plaza with two beautiful Holm oaks. On either side of the door are stone crosses decorated with three lobes and pyramid-shaped bases. Presiding over the entrance is the name of Jesus. In the atrium is an effigy of Saint Honoratus with benches all around. Next to a solitary cypress is the small church with bell tower and stone skull under the bell. The Gothic door, with Saint Honoratus in a niche, also has two coats of arms on either side and the already mentioned old Gothic inscription. The interior is 14 meters long, including the presbytery as well, and 4.8 m wide, not including the side chapels. The church has a baptismal font bearing the date, 1736. The choir is found above the entrance. There are two chapels on either side, with channeled pseudo-Ionic columns and half-point arches to hold up the ceiling. The main altar chapel, preceded by several marble steps, has a barrel vault ceiling.

From Sant Honorat, a mountain path climbs up a ravine towards Cura, with beautiful views of the plain and Gràcia’s cliffs. The main path separates from the one leading to Randa at the height of the pass and begins to climb up winding and steeply. It reaches the tallest summit of Puig de Randa, the one called Puig de Cura and 4.9 km from Algaida, the town on which the church before us depends. This is where the image of the Virgin known as the Mare de Dèu de Cura is venerated. We can also see the ruins of the Col.legi de Gramàtica Llatina (Latin grammar school) founded by Ramón Llull when he retired here around 1275.

 Cura, with its thick walls surrounding it, looks fortified, despite the fact that it only has bare walls and some isolated and small rectangular windows. To the right of the entrance is the church reinforced by three columns. Above these, the presence of a sundial bearing the date, 1663, stands out. The interior measures 12 m long by 6 wide. It is made of stone from Santanyí, and the ceiling is supported by half-point arches. The choir is found above the entrance. Two mural columns support the ceiling. The main altar chapel, narrowing at the back, was remodeled in 1868 and is presided over by an image of Our Lady of Cura.

Below Cura, on the path towards Randa, are two noteworthy caves, though not due to their size but because, according to legend, they were where the Blessed Ramón Llull stayed when he sought refuge. At the extreme end of a prominent hill not far from Cura is a corral, a part of whose rocky ground has been carefully tilled. At the base of a large rock that’s fallen down, we find the Sant Ramon Nou cave with an entrance measuring 132 cm and an inner height of 2 m. Inside we can only see the stones arranged like steps and leading to a small chapel installed in commemoration. A natural path which seems paved leads to the second cave, this one known as Sant Ramon Vell. Its opening measures two and a half meters, and it is two meters deep.

Worth noting is that the excellent crystalline stone is quarried in Puig de Randa. It is so useful to cover the floor of bakeries, as is unerringly done in Palma, and to make mill stones, called “pedres esmoladores” here.

The terrain becomes a bit rougher after Prat, and the road begins a soft descent. To the left we see Son Sunyer behind a group of old pines at the foot of a hill populated by younger specimens. The road crosses numerous tilled fields lined with pine groves and masses of mastics and junipers. To the right we see the hills lined up towards Marratxí and which border a small plain which is barely sloped at its center. We soon come to Son Sant Joan with its tall square tower. To the left, by contrast, are the houses of Son Banya and an old windmill coming into view. We continue along through small pine groves and tilled fields, the majority dedicated to cereals. A bit farther on we discover a dense glade of agaves, the Torre d’en Pau quarry and a small grove of very young pine trees. To the left, the path heads towards s’Arenal. Leaving a windmill to the left, we come to the Coll d’En Rabassa group of houses and fertile garden in front. We then come to the Llevant mill and the city."

Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria. Las Baleares por la palabra y el grabado. Majorca: The island. Ed. Sa Nostra, Caja de Baleares. Palma de Mallorca. 1982.