The town of Deià in Majorca - The domain of Son Marroig

Son Marroig was the favorite residence of the Archduke Louis Saviour of Habsburg-Lorraine, cousin of the Empress Sissi of Austria.

Marroig pronounced "marrohiche".

To get there from Palma, take the Palma - Valldemossa motorway (Ma-1110). Once we reached Valldemossa, take the motorway towards Deià (Ma-10). Shortly before reaching Deià there is a turnoff to the left leading to Son Marroig.

Since Sóller, on the road from Sóller to Valldemossa, the manor is located about 7 km before Valldemossa.

The House Museum Son Marroig (Casa Museo de Son Marroig) is a private institution that was created in 1927 to preserve, promote and divulge the emblematic figure of the Archduke Ludwig Salvator. The main objective of the museum is to show all visitors the work of the author of the best writing on the islands "The Balearic", his love of nature and its commitment to regional history book.

The Tower Son Marroig is a square tower, with thick walls and a single portal small, forming an arch, located on the north side, opposite the main gate of the house. The tower contains defensive elements, such as battlements that protected the access door and windows. The roof is tiled, hipped roofs.

At the time of the Archduke, the tower was decorated with two windows of the sixteenth century Renaissance style, recovered from a collapsed house, one of the windows is located north-east and the other facing the is. The first amounts adorned with grotesque decorations on the plant theme, while the second is adorned with pilasters anthropomorphic, and bears the name Carbonell registered its lintel.

Today, inside the tower, you can see a bed of the seventeenth century.

On the right as you enter, there is a staircase leading to the main floor, which opens with two bows slightly lowered, supported by Ionic column sitting on a pedestal.

The room is furnished with beautiful pieces of furniture and pieces of art, antique paintings in particular, among which there is a painting of the Immaculate between father Castañeda and Catherine Thomas.

As a curiosity, there is a vertebra and a rib of a great whale, reminiscent of the great interest of the Archduke by the themes of nature.

In a showcase presented the books he wrote, including some volumes of the book dedicated to Archduke Islands, on the walls, documents, photographs, portraits and maps are exposed.

The walls of the living room hangs a large collection of paintings from the nineteenth century Majorcan, Joaquim Mir, Antoni Ribas Oliver, Antoni Ribas Prats, Joan Bauza, Hubert Erwin and Piza.

The part of the area now known as the Sa Foradada (perforated) coast was once a small island off the coast, today became a peninsula.

In 1582 Sa Foradada was the scene of a bloody battle in which 50 people have defeated an invading force of 150 Moors from North Africa. This famous victory went to the local history, and is commemorated on May 13 of each year, a reenactment of the battle between the Moors and Christians. Following this battle, and other attacks, a series of fortified watchtowers were built along the northwest coast, whose remains are still visible today.

Archduke used the small natural harbor to anchor his yacht "Nixe".

As a visitor to the mansion, there is the possibility, with the permission of the guardian, take the private road about 3.5 km long down to the Bored Rock.

Until 1870, before being purchased by the Archduke, the area of ​​Son Marroig was the venue for the cultivation of olive trees, vineyards and grain fields, he also produced honey and silkworm.

The house was considered by Archduke Louis Savior as one of the best located homes in Mallorca and as essential to the reconstruction project Miramar. The acquisition by the Archduke was not easy, but in 1877, he could finally buy the domain, even if had to pay the family Cortei much higher than its actual value amount. But the Archduke said that all the money they had obtained did not even pay the hole Sa Foradada. The area, including the Foradada, had an area of ​​68 ha.

Son Marroig was the habitual residence of the Secretary of the Archduke, Antoni Vives Colom, married in 1879 to Luisa Venezze, died at Son Marroig in 1896 and his second wife, Ana Ripoll.

On the death of the Archduke in 1915, the area of ​​Son Marroig, like all his property in Majorca, was bequeathed to his secretary, Antoni Vives Colom, who possessed the little time he died in 1918. The property then went to his daughter, Luisa Ripoll Vives, wife of the painter Antoni Ribas Prats, it was installed there in 1928, the museum dedicated to the figure of the Archduke. Currently, the owner is Isabel Ribas Vives, daughter of the painter and Luisa Vives.

Tireless navigator, explorer, author of travel books, passionate about the arts and science, Archduke Louis Savior came for the first time in Mallorca in 1867, while traveling incognito under the name of Count of Neudorf. He lived some time in the island before embarking on overseas. The nature of the island, the vastness of the sea and the Tramuntana seduced to the point that over the last thirty years of the nineteenth century, he acquired a large number of Majorcan properties. Louis Saviour returned to Mallorca. During his walks, he reached the north coast of Majorca, and lovers of beautiful landscapes Miramar (a former monastery founded by Raymond Lull), he bought the property.

He made ​​successively along with other areas of the Majorcan countryside such as S’Estaca, and Son Marroig, whose view of the rock of La Foradada had struck during his first visit to the coast.

Here are the words of the archduke in his little book Majorcan "What I know of Miramar" on page 46:

"Only Son Marroig, due to its location with views of La Dragonera seemed incomparably more beautiful."

The prince built the current home of Son Marroig in the proportions of the former. Mallorca became his primary residence in 1872, remained there until the eve of the war in 1913. His stay was only interrupted by his travels through research that explored the Mediterranean aboard his yacht, the "Nixe".

Properties covering 3,500 hectares and were grouped around Miramar, in the towns of Valldemossa and Deià. Another was to Sant Elm. He spent substantial sums in the purchase of land adjacent to his property, to avoid the felling of trees, he hated to see fall under the ax of loggers. The scenery seemed to him incomparable, and he did much to promote the Balearics.

"Almost everywhere Coast steep down to the translucent waters. On terraced slopes amount of olive trees and pines. The decor is dominated by the Sierra Tramuntana, always wearing a bright sky. "

From the viewpoints located about 300 meters, you could discover stunning sunsets, he loved to watch his visitors. From there, we could reach the beach of Sa Foradada, where the Prince often moored his yacht.

Generous and sociable, willing to allow anyone to know his country, he was in a house called Cado Mado Pilla, now defunct, allowed anyone who wanted to stay three days, free of charge. The guest had at his disposal the house, light, oil, olives and fruit. Paul Morand has benefited from the hospitality, and he did, in "Mediterranean Sea surprises" the following description:

"The hospederia is a cabin with a double bed and is accessed through the branches of a fig tree. it feeds on figs, and has the most beautiful view overlooking the sea cobalt entire coastline. "

His cousin, Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary ("Sissi"), who many believed, visited him twice in Majorca with his yacht "Miramar" (1892).

The Archduke had a vast culture, loving art and science. He settled in Mallorca, to continue his studies in order to publish a book on the Balearic Islands. His work in seven volumes (shown in the drawings), to which he devoted twenty years, "The Balearic portrayed in words and pictures" ("Die Balearen in Wort und Bild geschildert") was published from 1869 to 1891 in the Brockhaus publishing house and is still considered authoritative.

Louis Saviour had a love of nature and its interests lay in the natural sciences, which he had acquired a vast knowledge, ethnography and geography. As conservationist, Archduke prohibits logging and hunting on his property.

He was interested, among other underground areas, very important in the island of Majorca. The caves on the island are remarkable, and in 1896, Archduke invited the famous French caver Édouard-Alfred Martel to come explore and establish the general statement. One of the best known in the enclosure of which is Lake Martel, one of the largest in the world, opens in Manacor.

"S’Arxiduc", name under which it is popularly known Archduke Louis Savior in Majorca, has always shown a great willingness to integrate in the Majorcan society even to learn Catalan, he was deeply interested in the customs and traditions of the island.

He was the first to introduce the beauty of the island in world tourism in 1877, in gratitude to his task of disclosure, he was distinguished with the title of honor of the city of Palma citizen, in 1910, of the island of Majorca. At the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889, he was honored for his contribution to the early days of tourism in Mallorca.

During World War Ludwig Salvator had to return to Bohemia on the order of the emperor. He died there on October 12, 1915 in his castle Brandais Bohemia in the Czechia. He was embalmed and in 1918 moved into the imperial crypt of the Capuchin Church in Vienna, where he is buried with his family.

For more information, visit: www.ludwig-salvator.com

Visiting hours:

Open all year round from Monday to Saturday, from 9:30 to 18:00 in winter and up to 20:00 in summer. Closed on Sundays.

Admission: € 3 for adults.

Phone: 00 34 971 639 158

Site on the Web: www.sonmarroig.com