Castell d'Alaró
10
Civil and religious buildings
In 1622, when the fortress and the garrison buildings were already completely ruined, a new chapter began in the history of the Castle mountain.
That year, the parish priest Joan Coll, in thanksgiving for the rains that ended a severe drought, promoted the construction of the chapel of Our Lady of Refuge.
His disciple, Joan Mir i Vallès, later known as Joan Mir de la Concepció, was the only hermit in Mallorca to take his vows at Alaró Castle. He would later play a major role in the creation of hermit communities elsewhere on the island.
The hermits lived in this area as well as in nearby caves and cavities, including the Cave of Saint Anthony.
From that moment onwards, the site gradually developed around the hermitage. Thanks to an inventory from 1690, we know there was a kitchen, stables and numerous rooms or dormitories for the religious community. The cistern, the building known as the taverneta and several other constructions already existed at that time.
Later, these modest seventeenth-century buildings were renovated and expanded. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the so-called obra nova, or “new building”, was constructed, and since then the entire complex has continued to evolve over time.
The hermits were eventually replaced by caretakers responsible for maintaining and looking after the site.
One of the most curious buildings in the area is the current communications and meteorological data station at the summit. This structure stands on the foundations of a former military aerial surveillance hut from the Second World War, known as a red de acecho. The Castle’s first telephone was installed here and is still preserved today.
Finally, the current appearance of this entire area is the result of the major restoration carried out in the early 2000s, when all the buildings were adapted to serve their present function as a refuge in the Tramuntana mountains.
That year, the parish priest Joan Coll, in thanksgiving for the rains that ended a severe drought, promoted the construction of the chapel of Our Lady of Refuge.
His disciple, Joan Mir i Vallès, later known as Joan Mir de la Concepció, was the only hermit in Mallorca to take his vows at Alaró Castle. He would later play a major role in the creation of hermit communities elsewhere on the island.
The hermits lived in this area as well as in nearby caves and cavities, including the Cave of Saint Anthony.
From that moment onwards, the site gradually developed around the hermitage. Thanks to an inventory from 1690, we know there was a kitchen, stables and numerous rooms or dormitories for the religious community. The cistern, the building known as the taverneta and several other constructions already existed at that time.
Later, these modest seventeenth-century buildings were renovated and expanded. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the so-called obra nova, or “new building”, was constructed, and since then the entire complex has continued to evolve over time.
The hermits were eventually replaced by caretakers responsible for maintaining and looking after the site.
One of the most curious buildings in the area is the current communications and meteorological data station at the summit. This structure stands on the foundations of a former military aerial surveillance hut from the Second World War, known as a red de acecho. The Castle’s first telephone was installed here and is still preserved today.
Finally, the current appearance of this entire area is the result of the major restoration carried out in the early 2000s, when all the buildings were adapted to serve their present function as a refuge in the Tramuntana mountains.
Tales and legends
9
The chapel and the story of Cabrit and Bassa