Miramar: from Llull to the Archduke

The Miramar Monastery, situated in the property of the same name, in the municipality of Valldemossa, was founded in 1276 by Jaume II, at the request of Ramon Llull, to held a missionary school dedicated to teaching Arabic and other oriental languages, with a view to preparing friars to convert the heathen to Christianity.

The Beatified Ramon Llull, who in 1273 had already withdrawn for some time to Randa for a contemplation, spent three years in Miramar, where he taught 12 friars and to write some of his books. The Archduke Ludwig Salvatore of Austria (1847 - 1915) bought the old property in 1872 after falling in love with the scenery of the northern coats of Mallorca. According to the Archduke in 'Die Balearen': "without drought no other place on earth deserves with more reason the name of Miramar". At that time the property extended as far as the top of the Teix mountain, and followed along the coast to the East to Son Marroig, in the municipality of Deià, a property that the Archduke also bought a few years later. The property also included to the West the land and vineyards of s'Estaca, where in 1878 the Archduke built a singular Sicilian style house and promoted the growing of the vines.

On the Archduke's death, the Miramar property, together with that of Son Marroig, passed on to his secretary, the Mallorcan Antoni Vives, except for the Estaca land, that went to his official mistress, the housekeeper Catalina Homar, and since the nineties, it has belonged to the actor Michael Douglas and his ex-wife, Diandra. At present, Miramar is still owned by the Vives family and houses a museum where there are some objects, documents and works of art relating to the worlds of Llull and the Archduke.

The lane that leads to Miramar is off the Valldemossa to Deià road. The visit to the property starts via the Archduke's map room and the old 'tàfona' (oil press), situated in the small building at the entrance. The visit continues through the garden and the cloister, that the Archduke had built based on some Gothic arches of the XIII century from the old Santa Margalida convent in Palma. From here you enter the house, passing by authentic columns from the ancient cloister that Ramon Llull had built in the XIII century and that were found by the Archduke at different points of the property.

Inside the house, there is the sculpture by Tantardini in memory of Vratislav Vyborny, Ludwig Salvador's first secretary, and a partial reproduction of the interior of the Nixe II with authentic parts of the Archduke's yacht. The main Ramon Llull hall is also visited, where there are several graphic works relating to Lulism, such as a reproduction of the 12 miniatures by Breviculum; and a small library, in the old stable, that has books and objects relating to the life and work of Llull.

Leaving the house, the garden links to the "mirador" where spectacular view over the sea can be enjoyed. The walk continues in the garden of the "Torre del Moro", a singular area where there are geometric figures by Ramon Llull drawn in the gardenbeds and an Italian style pond constructed in the time of the Archduke. Returning along the same path, there is a garden of yew trees, that still preserve the remains of the shape of a Byzantine cross of the base of the ancient church, and from here on to the present chapel, designed by Frederic Wachskmanna and built in the Archduke's time.

Miramar, together with Son Marroig and the Cartoixa de Valldemossa, is one of the most interesting cultural places of this part of the Serra de Tramuntana. It can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday and the entrance costs 3 € for adults, children free.

More information:

- Photographic report by MallorcaWeb (27 photographs)

Museu del Monestir de Miramar
Carretera Valldemossa-Deià
VALLDEMOSSA
Tel: 971616073
email: funbal@bitel.es
web: www.bitel.es/personales/miramar

Photo © BalearWeb

Datum: 25/02/2002

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