The town of Inca in Majorca

Inca is an industrial city whose specialty is the leather industry, especially the shoe. The city is quite dull and unattractive on the tourist map, it runs a little on Thursday, market day, and the Fair of the Good Thursday (Dijous Bo), when hordes of tourists are discharged by coaches agencies tourism.

The city is almost midway between Palma de Mallorca, 35 km southwest (about thirty minutes by car) and Alcúdia, 24 km north-east.

The town of Inca borders the municipalities of Binissalem, Lloseta, Selva, Campanet, Búger, Sa Pobla, Llubí, Sineu, Costitx and Sencelles.

The city does not have, in fact, a large number of historical monuments, but it has, in recent years, efforts to enhance its historic center, prohibiting traffic in some streets and renovating old houses. This allows pleasant walks along the Carrer Major to Plaça de Santa Maria la Major, where the parish church of the same name, but also some fairly quiet café terraces.

The historical center also has a few houses, easily recognizable by their inputs stone arches. It is in this area that we can discover the "cellers" typical restaurants located in old wine cellars, offering traditional Majorcan cuisine.

The construction of the present church of St. Mary Major lasted over 180 years and was not completed until 1893 ; its architect was Master Jaume Blanquer.

The church of Santa Maria Major church is a typical Majorcan Baroque, with a rather plain facade, pierced by a rose window and open a neoclassical gate, without decoration, surmounted by a second smaller oculus. On the right stands the tower, dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, overlooking the Plaça de Santa Maria la Major bordered by an elegant gallery.

The interior of the church contains several masterpieces, including a Gothic panel painting depicting the Virgin Mary, a work of the fourteenth century by Joan Daurer (1373). This painting - the oldest painting of Mallorca - is visible near the baptistery.

Another notable work is the statue of St. Mary Major, carved by the Picard sculptor Pierre de Saint-Jean (Pere de Sant Joan) in the late fourteenth century or early fifteenth century.

You can also see remarkable altarpieces of the Renaissance: the altarpiece of the "Name of Jesus" (retaule del Nom de Jesus) in 1587, the work of Gaspar Homs, and the altarpiece of "Saint Peter" (retaule de Sant Pere) from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and Baroque altarpieces: the altarpiece of the "Holy Christ" (retaule de Sant Crist) of 1667 and the altarpiece of "St. Sebastian" (retaule de Sant Sebastià) the seventeenth century.

The cloister of the monastery is square and is surrounded by an arcade of seven arches on all four sides, in the middle of the cloister is a well baroque style of the eighteenth century (1747).

The church of Sant Francesc is a building in spare style, with only a facade decorated with a large rosette and large scrolls at the top. The interior has a single nave divided into six sections, with side chapels.

The church contains a treasure: a statue of "Our Lady of Grace" of the sixteenth century, sculptor and painter Gabriel Móger, the Mare de Déu de Gràcia. One can also see a Renaissance altarpiece, the altarpiece of the "Immaculate Conception" (retaule de la Puríssima Concepció) from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as well as a portrait of the "Virgin of Hope" (Mare de Déu de l’Esperança) the seventeenth century.

The monastery of Sant Francesc is south of the church of Saint Mary Major at the end of Carrer de Sant Francesc, between Carre del Vent and Carrer Blanquerna.

The interior has a single nave divided into five sections and covered with a barrel vault, with an apse and rectangular side in each section of the nave chapels these chapels started by arches and covered with barrel vaults, contain works of art of great value:

• the Rosary Chapel (Capella del Roser), whose construction began in 1666, is the fifth chapel to the left on entering, it is covered with a barrel vault. The Chapel of the Rosary contains remarkable baroque altarpiece, although a bit overloaded with angels, flowers and fruit this altarpiece of the "Virgin of the Rosary" dates from the sixteenth century and comes from the parish of Santa Maria Maggiore. It is the work of Gaspar Homs, one of the most important painters of the fifteenth century Majorcan, which can be defined as Mannerist. The central panel of the altarpiece shows the Virgin Mary giving the rosary to St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena, around the central table the fifteen mysteries of the rosary are represented. In the central part of the summit, we see the figure of God the Father surrounded by clouds and the Holy Spirit represented by a dove. Interesting twisted columns decorated with grapes and vine leaves frame the image of the holy preacher. On the sides, there are images of Saint Bartholomew (the symbol of his martyrdom: the knife with which he was flayed alive), and Matthew, also with a spear symbolizing his martyrdom. In the top of the altar is the figure of St. Barbara, framed by small twisted columns, colorful, full of flowers and fruits. In the predella, we can see, in the middle, the appearance of the Virgin Mary to St. Dominic and sides, St. Abdon and Senen saint, the patron saints of the town of Inca, and St. Christopher with the Christ Child.
• the chapel of St. Vincent Ferrer (Capella de Sant Vicenç Ferrer) - the third chapel on the left as you enter - is decorated with an altarpiece of 1676, also in Baroque style. The central panel of the altarpiece shows the brother Vicenç Ferrer Dominican habit preaching Inca; Vincent Ferrer had delivered four sermons Inca in October 1413.
• another baroque altarpiece altarpiece of Souls (retaule de les Ànimes), the seventeenth century. The altarpiece of Souls, smaller than the first two, is in the first chapel on the right. In the central niche is a Holy Christ, and on the sides, the images of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, and above, a Dominican saint. In a small hollow of the predella, there is a sculpture of the Pieta, polychrome sculpture of the late seventeenth century.

Beside the church of Sant Domingo is the cloister, built in the first half of the eighteenth century (1730). This beautiful cloister square, with the four sides closed by seven segmental arches galleries in cart handles, supported on stone columns with Ionic capitals. The four galleries are covered by a beamed ceiling, with, in each corner, a vault.

In 1835, the Dominicans were expelled by the anticlerical government of the Freemason Mendizábal. From that date, the Monastery of Sant Domènec experienced various purposes: it was used as a prison, and the elegant cloister was even used as an arena for bullfights. It now houses the municipal services, public library and an exhibition hall.

The monastery of Sant Domingo is at the beginning of the Avinguda de les Germanies.

The Monastery of St. Bartholomew belongs to the Order of Hermits of St. Jerome, and was founded in the early sixteenth century, in 1534. The current buildings date from the late seventeenth century (1667-1702) and are in the baroque style of the time. The gate with arch gives access to an elegant cloister with an old hackberry and a well. The church has a single nave divided into four sections, and tiny lateral chapels. The monastery also has a large garden.

The small museum of the monastery of St. Bartholomew preserves important works of art: the "Holy Blood of Christ" (Sant Crist de la Sang), the fourteenth or fifteenth century baroque altarpieces of the "Virgin of the Candlestick" (retaule de la Mare de Déu del Candeler) and the "Holy Family" (retaule de la Sagrada Família) seventeenth century ; two Gothic panels by Pere Terrencs from the fifteenth century, and precious paintings by Llopis and son, from the sixteenth century.

A group of Moors, led by their chief named Xuaip, were holed up in the mountains of the Serra de Tramuntana and terrorized the new Christian settlers around Inca. King Jaume I the Conqueror came in person to solve the problem, but while chasing a group of these looters, the king’s horse slipped on wet rock and left a groove-shaped hoof. The king stood up quickly and cut to pieces the looters, he says that the larger pieces that remained were the ears.

It can be seen on the rock near the memorial, a trace like the mark of a horse’s hoof. We reach the memorial continuing Carrer des Monges after the monastery of St. Bartholomew, then turn right into Carrer dels Molins (Street of the Mills), the memorial of Sa Pota del Rei is at the end of the street, in the public park Serral de ses Monges.

The site offers a beautiful view of the Serra de Tramuntana.

To reach the chapel St. Magdalene from Inca, you can take the road Ma-13 towards of Alcúdia, then turn right on a narrow road that climbs to the top of the hill at 305 m altitude.

The construction of the Ermita de Santa Magdalena dates back to the fourteenth century, the original building was Gothic, but was rebuilt and expanded since. It has a facade of great simplicity, with a portal semicircular arch and a rosette, the facade is topped by a steeple. Inside, the nave is divided into four sections by diaphragm arches, the nave is covered with a wood coffered ceiling.

The terrace at the top of Puig de Santa Magdalena offers a panoramic view of almost the entire island:

• to the north, the view extends to the bays of Alcúdia and Pollença ;
• to the west, on the Serra de Tramuntana ;
• to the southwest from the restaurant, overlooking the town of Mount of Inca;
• only the view to the east is hampered by the oratory buildings and vegetation.

Inca knew an important industrial and commercial development in the nineteenth century, notably with the development of the shoe industry.

In the fourteenth century, two types of workshops and cohabiting completed: those tanners who transformed the raw leather hides processed and stained, and those shoemakers who made ​​shoes. From the sixteenth century, however, hides better began to be imported from the New World, and many tanners had to stop their activity. In the seventeenth century, in 1652, an outbreak of bubonic plague struck the town of Inca, whose 2000 5,000 people died in a few months, it was a blow to the craft of shoe.

It was not until the mid-nineteenth century the manufacture of footwear experienced a revival and became a real industry, by streamlining techniques and mechanization of production, including the use of steam, but these changes put many unemployed shoemakers.

Inca has a shoe museum, housed in a former barracks of the city, located on the other side of the railway, Avinguda del General Luque, on the left of the street after going under the railway bridge. You can see an exhibition of machines and objects related to the footwear industry. In the center is a memorial to the shoemakers of Inca.

Address: Plaça d’Espanya, 1

Phone: 00 34 971 880 105

The Fair of Inca (Fira d’Inca) is held once a year on the day of "Dijous Bo" (Good Thursday), the fourth Thursday after the Sunday after the feast of St. Luke (October 18)… in general the third Thursday of November. On the eve of Dijous Bo takes place Dimecres Bo (Good Wednesday), in which are held concerts and other cultural and festive events, and ends with a fireworks display. Fira d’Inca attracts more than 100,000 visitors.

Camper, a Majorcan shoe brand internationally known has a factory store in an industrial zone:

Address: Industrial Poligon s / n

Hours: from 10:00 to 20:30, Monday to Saturday

Phone: 00 34 902 364 598

Site on the Web: www.camper.com

Farrutx:

Address: Industrial Poligon, 2

Phone: 00 34 971 659 289

Site on the Web: www.farrutx.com

Ballco Address: Carrer de Vicente Ensenat, 87, Phone: 00 34 971 500 810; Site on the Web: www.ballco.com

Barrats Address: Avinguda del General Luque, 480, Phone: 00 34 971 500 803; Site on the Web: www.barrats1890.com

Carmina Address: Avinguda Jaume II s / n, Phone: 00 34 971 880 938; Site on the Web: www.carminashoemaker.com

Lottusse Address: Avinguda Jaume II s / n, Phone: 00 34 971 507 988; Site on the Web: www.lottusse.com

Munper Address: Avinguda Jaume II s / n, Phone: 00 34 971 881 000; Site on the Web: www.munper.com

Yanko Address: Carrer de Binissalem, 51, Phone: 00 34 971 507 595; Site on the Web: www.yanko.com

Departures: a train every hour from Palma to Inca, a train every hour from Inca to Manacor or from Inca to Sa Pobla

Price: one way to Palma, about 5 €

Phone: 00 34 971 752 245

The cellers, located in some of the oldest buildings in the city, serving traditional Majorcan dishes like "mallorquines sopes" (Majorcan soups), the "tombet" (a kind of stew) and "gato ametlles" (cake almonds).

Besides the Can Ripoll is the Celler Can Ripoll, who was the cellar of the mansion, which is a huge cave covered with a high ceiling wooden beams and stone arches arched. The cave is deep enough and go down the stairs to reach the restaurant, this room features rustic wooden tables, arranged in front of huge oak barrels that are supposed to be over 200 years. The celler also has a terrace on the patio.

The meals are hearty and prepared with fresh market produce dishes are classic Majorcan cuisine: suckling pig, lamb brains, fresh fish, eggplant, bean soup, paella and, of course, tapas.

The Celler Can Ripoll is located in the city center, west of the church of Santa Maria la Major, Carrer de Jaume Armengol, at number 4.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, from 9:30 to 16:00 and from 19:30 to 23:30.

Price: from € 20-25.

Phone: 00 34 971 500 024

Address: Carrer de la Pau, 16

Hours: Monday to Thursday from 12:30 to 16:00 and from 19:00 to 23:00.

Price: from 20 to 30 €.

Phone: 00 34 971 500 049

Specialties: suckling pig, lamb shoulder stuffed eggplant and sobrasada, cod confit in olive oil.

Address: Carrer de la Pau, 39

Hours: Monday to Friday, from 13:00 to 16:00 and from 19:30 to 23:00.

Price, around 25 or 30 €.

Phone: 00 34 971 501 261

Site on the Web: www.celler-canamer.es