The town of Bunyola in Majorca - The finca Raixa

The house is an old Arab palace renovated in the eighteenth century.

After the reconquest of Mallorca by the Catalan in the thirteenth century, the area Raixa (possessió of Raixa) had several owners, as Zaforteza-Tagamanent, until its acquisition by the Despuig family.

The most important restoration of the house was conducted by Cardinal Antoni Despuig i Dameto (1745-1813), son of the third Earl of Montenegro, transformed the building into a beautiful classic Italian style palace housing the ground floor a important collection of works of art.

Geographical coordinates: 39° 40’ 50” N 2° 40’ 23” E

The center of the field is a group of houses, which are always mentioned in the plural because they include several buildings. The "cases de possessió" include different types of buildings according to their geographical location and specialization of production. There is the main house and the farm workers and neighborhoods, next to these, a number of ancillary buildings directly related to agricultural use of the area: stables, olive oil mill, oil stores pantry, and so on.

The "clastra" of Raixa has a strong rural character and its most notable feature is the porch which was built in the early sixteenth century. The "clastra" provides access to the home of the Masters, neighborhoods farm workers and the most important ancillary buildings.

House Masters has undergone various transformations over the centuries, decoration and furniture are adapted styles of the moment. However, such mansions have never reached the luxury and refinement of the "patios" of Palma, especially those owned by the nobility.

Although the provision has changed over the years, during the period of greatest splendor of Raixa in the eighteenth century, the house consisted of various rooms and bedrooms, a main dining room, a dining room staff and kitchen on the first floor for the owner’s family ("cuina dels senyors").

The entrance to the "casa dels senyors" hall leading to various domestic spaces, such as kitchen, closets and various dish pantry. He also served as access to private quarters of the family.

After a very ambitious project designed by Spanish architect Maria Eusebio de Ibarreche the cardinal Despuig hired the Italian architect Giovanni Lazzarini, who developed a large-scale project in 1802 for a series of gardens in neoclassical style. Financial constraints and lack of water meant that neither one of these projects was undertaken.

Finally it was decided in 1807 to opt for a more modest plan, based on a reinterpretation of the draft prepared by the Italian Lazzarini, under the direction of master builder Tomas Abrines.

The gardens were built in three phases. During the first phase the large pool was built, and gardens of Apollo and the low grounds, near the south facade of the mansion, were also developed.

Later, work began in the upper gardens, known as "Sa Muntanyeta" clearing the land to the east and erecting imitation ruins and picturesque structures that are typical of romantic gardens groups.

During the third phase, the field received a new driveway access and high gardens were extended to cover the entire south side of the hill.

Small additions were later made ​​by successive counts of Montenegro and the last owner of Raixa, Antoni Jaume Nadal. The gardens are divided into access, low and high gardens gardens gardens.

The baroque staircase for less grandiose, surrounded by numerous statues and visible in the midst of lush vegetation, has been reproduced in many tables Majorcan artists.

The field Raixa is watered by the stream of the "Font des Coster", but the stream does not provide enough water to expand the vineyards and olive groves to make profitable field. In 1807, the stream "des Polls" was leased to the neighboring area of Pastorix and water was brought to Raixa by a line three miles long.

The area remained under Arab rule for 300 years.

The first historical data Raixa date from the late fifteenth century, when the area belonged to Safortesa-Tagamanents, Majorcan noble family has been extinguished. We do not know what it was like the medieval building, but some important work from 1512 confirm the simplicity of the original house.

From the sixteenth century there was, in the nobility, a long process of accumulation of land, which resulted in the creation of successful latifundia, which in Majorca are called "possessions" (possesió). Raixa became one of those "possessions". But in the sixteenth century, the owners of Raixa were involved in the revolt of Germanies de Mallorca (Mallorca Brotherhoods), a struggle between rebel artisans and defenders of the crown, which took place between 1521 and 1523, the area and buildings were attacked and burned. Raixa but was rebuilt in the following century, the family experienced a serious decline and was forced to sell his property to the first Earl of Montenegro and Montoro, Ramon Despuig i Rocaberti (1633-1681), 18 June 1660.

In the eighteenth century the house was enlarged in various works. The historical documents show that it was a rural manor well equipped and decorated to match, according to Baroque tastes. The existence of both approval orchards, known under the names of "Hort de les Llimoneres" (Garden of Lemons) and "Hort de la Gruta" (Garden of the Cave) confirm that such areas were not only Majorcan agricultural centers but also temporary homes where the owners could enjoy nature.

The Despuig family is the most representative and most important family in the history of the domain of Raixa she possessed for centuries. All members of this family, the most important character is Antoni Despuig.

Antoni Despuig was a scholar, an encyclopedic curiosity and an enlightened man of his time. From 1774 to 1782, he made a number of trips to Italy. In 1785, he produced a famous map of Mallorca, dedicated to Princess Maria Luisa of Parma Austria.

In 1795, Antoni Despuig was appointed archbishop of Valencia and Seville.

Already during the 1790s, Antoni Despuig wrote to his brother Joan, the owner of Raixa on the transformation of the domain in the style of an Italian villa. At the time of such houses usually had gardens and a private source of pride and pleasure for their own museum.

With the help of Gabino Hamilton, a Scottish antiquarian, Antoni Despuig discovered numerous sculptures. In 1796, these sculptures were shipped to Raixa and formed the basis for its antiques and art collection. The impressions gathered in Italy by Antoni Despuig did not left him after his return to the Majorcan family home: in 1797 he transformed the old land area in a palace surrounded by Italian-style gardens.

In 1803, Pope Pius VII appointed him cardinal. During his stay in Rome, this man traveled widely grown in Tuscany and other regions of Italy, came into contact with artists of the Italian capital, and developed his interest in antiques and collections.

In addition to the collections he brought from Italy, Cardinal Despuig enriches its museum of Raixa all objects discovered during excavations he did do in the area of ​​Raixa and consisted mainly of the remains of the Roman period.

In his will, the cardinal appointed his brother Joan as heir of his property and asked him to complete the work he had begun to Raixa, especially the museum and library. A few months after the death of Antoni Despuig, his brother, Earl, also died in his turn. The heir to the estate was the eldest son of Count Ramon, who with his brother, Joan Despuig Safortesa, made great efforts to make their dreams a reality uncle.

In 1906, the finca Raixa was purchased by the Jaume family Don Antoni Jaume offered for sale parts of the museum. In 1918, the municipality of Palma, supported by a number of cultural institutions of the island, asked the Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts, the legacy Despuig was kept in the island of Majorca, as ’asked the cardinal in his will. The works of the museum Despuig were bought by the municipality of Palma de Mallorca and can currently be seen at Bellver Castle near Palma.

The finca Raixa was acquired in January 2002 by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and the Council of Mallorca, to make the seat of the National Parks and a major international center for the environment.

The mansion began to be restored in 2003 and in 2008, the restoration of the main building was completed. The second phase, which covers the gardens and farm buildings, began in 2009. The gardens continue to be visited after restoration.

The mansion was opened to the public in late 2009, but in 2011 and 2012, the gardens were still closed to visitors, for reasons of accessibility.

Hours: Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00. By appointment from Monday to Friday.

Admission is free.

Phone: 00 34 871 947 320

Road from Palma to Soller, Km 12.2.

By bus Sóller to Palma, there should be 40 minutes walk from the stop Bunyola, with luck, you can ask the driver to turn off Caubet (Joan March Hospital), the finca Raixa is then a 10 minute walk.

Site on the Web: www.raixa.org