Mallorca :: Comparisson reports

"Let’s return again to our oft-mentioned starting point, Santa Eulàlia Church, to take Carrer de la Plateria, overflowing with stores and more stores, their display cases full of an infinity of jewels and gold and silver objects. This street ends on Carrer de la Bosseria, from which, nearly in front of the mentioned Carrer de la Plateria, Carrer de Cererols begins. The latter is very short and lined with modern houses. In front is Carrer del Racó which takes two turns before ending on the Carrer del Teatre stairs which, in turn, provides a narrow entrance to Plaça d’Abastos. This plaza is completely new and surrounded by porticos. The unfinished market occupies the empty lot where the Sant Felip Neri convent once stood. Crossing the plaza through the middle, we come to Carrer de Sant Miquel.

The street broadens when passing by Sant Miquel Church and, after a few streets, it broadens even more. To the right we find the Sant Antoni de Viana Cloister and then the Presidi Cloister with Oliver Church in the small plaza with the same name.

At the end of this neighborhood is the spacious Plaça de la Porta Pintada which takes its name from the neighboring gateway. There are small, one-story houses in the plaza and the old walls of the convents. A broad and long street starts from this plaza, Carrer dels Oms, which takes you to the very end of the Rambla, limiting an entire district of the city when ends near the theatre and Plaça d’Abastos. As this area is much lower than Carrer de Sant Miquel, all the streets joining up with it are very steep. In terms of the unpaved Carrer dels Oms, we should note that among some modern houses are older, poorly constructed ones. Towards the middle of the road is a type of small square next to the entrance to Carrer de la Missió, and, just before it ends, on the right, Carrer de la Plaça de Toros begins, crossed above by one of the aqueduct arches which runs along the “murada” wall, crowned by agaves.

We take advantage of being on this street to visit the Plaça de Toros bullring. Compared to other analogous buildings in the rest of Spain, this one is only a small arena though, that notwithstanding, it can hold 9,500 people in the general seating area.

If we return now to Plaça d’Abastos, we’ll find ourselves on Carrer d’en Jaume II at the end of Carrer de Cererols. Along with the already mentioned Carrer de la Plateria and Plaça de Cort, they form a neighborhood of narrow streets but very busy commercially. The houses are almost all modern with balconies except on Carrer dels Fideus (“Noodle Street”), where there are many pasta-makers for soups, and on Carrer del Paners (“Bakers Street”), were we can still see a couple of old homes with porticos featuring square columns. Currently, a new street called Carrer de Juan Odon Colom crosses the entire neighborhood from Plaça de Cort to Carrer de Cererols.

From Carrer de Sant Bartomeu, Carrer d’en Berga descends to the market via stairs bordered by the garden belonging to the Safortesas’ house. Above its walls, an enormous black pine sticks out. Under the flying buttress where the street begins, we can see a Renaissance-styled window.

From Carrer del Conqueridor, another road, Carrer d’en Pizà, descends in stairs to the narrow Carrer d’en Quint. The latter is followed by Carrer de Sant Nicolau, with beautiful shops, primarily jewelry stores. Its buildings are modern, with balconies. Only on the left is the grand Vives house, with a raised tower and the remains of a “coronella” window with two arches. On the right is Sant Nicolau Church between two streets: Carrer d’Orfila and Carrer del Mercat. Their houses, like those on Carrer dels Guixers, are modern and not very interesting, except for Mr. Mercadal’s house. To the right is Carrer de Brondo, with modern, balconied houses. To the left, however, is a large house with an attic and octagonal columns holding up the eave. Where this street ends on Carrer de la Unió is the Brondos’ house.

Returning now to our starting point, Carrer del Conqueridor, we find a descent from Plaça de Sant Domingo, running, in part, along Carrer del Conqueridor, connected by two stairs on either end. The short Carrer del Rosari joins it via a small plaza with the same name. There is also a short alleyway without outlet in which there is a modernized house featuring a plaque dedicated to “Joan Crespí, paraire” (person in charge of preparing wool before weaving).

To finish, let’s take a look at the broad and modern Carrer del Conqueridor, one of the city’s widest. The slope is unpaved, and its buildings feature modern balconies. To the right is the bourgeoisie’s casino, Círculo Mallorquín, with a fountain on the side."

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