The Story of Majorca and MinorcaMarkham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
History
The Story of Majorca and Minorca
Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
Balearic Islands (Spain) -- History
Pedro IV., the Ceremonious, after a turbulent reign of fifty years,
occupied chiefly in unjust quarrels with his relations and neighbours,
at last died in 1396. His sons, Martin and Juan, were rightful heirs to
Majorca, the family of their Majorcan cousins having become extinct.
His daughter Leonor, wife of Juan I. of Castille, was the mother of
Henry III. of Castille, and also of Fernando (surnamed of Antequera
from having taken that town from the Moors), who, when the male line of
Aragon failed on the death of King Martin, became King of Aragon.
An ancient and most touching memorial of Jayme IV. and his sister
Isabel is still preserved at Alfavia by the descendants of their true
and faithful friends of the Santa Cilia family. The estate was held by
the Santa Cilia family for five generations, when the heiress Leonor
married Gabriel de Berga. The heiress of Berga married Zaforteza, and
Don Josè Burguez Zaforteza is now the owner of Alfavia and guardian of
the relic.
The country seat of Alfavia, at the foot of the mountain pass leading
to the valley of Soller, is surrounded by enchanting scenery. In front
there are two fir-clad mountain-peaks, with just a peep between them
of the garden of Palma, the cathedral, and the blue Mediterranean. All
round there are precipitous mountains, the lower slopes in terraces
planted with lemon and orange trees. The beautiful garden is famous
for a long pergola covered with flowing creepers, having a fountain
in each arch on either side. The entrance to the courtyard is by a
wide and lofty passage, and the first compartment of its roof is a
reminder of the Moorish origin of the house. It is a dome in the style
of the roofs at the Alhambra, the colours still visible. Round the
margin, or cornice, there is an Arabic inscription, which has been thus
translated:
‘Precept is of God: power is of God: mercy is of God: God is most
great, there is no God but Him: wealth consists in God.’
On the walls of the passage the coats-of-arms are painted of the
families which have owned Alfavia since Moorish times:
I. Ben nassar (_or a lion rampant gules_).
II. Santa Cilia (_argent three bars gules_).
III. Berga (_azure five crescents or_).
IV. Burgues (_or twelve crescents azure_).
V. Zaforteza (_gules three fleurs-de-lys or_).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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