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
Many of the treasures collected by the Cardinal are in the Montenegro
palace in the city of Palma. This palace, in the street of the same
name, has a courtyard with palm-trees, whence a wide stone staircase
leads to a gallery, where is the front door. The rooms are large
and lofty, richly furnished, and warmed by _braseros_. At the back
of the house there is a good-sized garden with palm-trees and an
evergreen oak. In this palace are more of the treasures collected by
the Cardinal. The famous _portolano_ of Valseca has already been
fully described. At the top of the house is the magnificent library,
arranged in subjects. One of the most valuable books is a manuscript
‘Nobiliario’ of the Aragonese nobility of the fifteenth century,
with coats of arms beautifully painted. Here, too, is the original
manuscript of Alemany’s history. The poetical and historical works are
the most numerous, including fine editions of ‘Don Quijote.’ The room
is of great length, and at the end was the cabinet of coins, Roman
Consular and Imperial, Spanish-Arabian, Gothic, and Aragonese kings.
According to Bover, the finest collection of Majorcan coins is in the
cabinet of the Count of Ayamans.
Cardinal Despuig, who was an intimate friend of Pope Pius VI., died
at Lucca on May 2, 1813, leaving to his country a thousand memorials
which will give his name an honoured place in the Balearic _fasti_.
His nephew, for whom all these collections were made, died in the
same year. This Count’s son, Ramon, fifth Count of Montenegro, was
Captain-General of Majorca, and died in 1848. The present Count, to
whose great courtesy our knowledge of Raxa and the Cardinal’s treasures
is due, is a grandson of the Captain-General, and is the seventh Count
of Montenegro.
Majorca boasts other country houses almost as beautiful, though not
quite so interesting as Raxa. Alfavia has already been described, and
Canet, the home of the Torrellas, has been mentioned. Another charming
country seat is La Granja de Esporla, the home of the Fortuñy family.
It is in a valley, with mountain-spurs on either side and abundant
supplies of water. The house is built round a courtyard, one side
having a wide stone passage on the upper storey, with open colonnades.
Over the archway into the courtyard there is a stone coat of arms of
Fortuñy (_argent five pellets_, _two_, _two_, _and one_; quartering
Gual, Despuig, and Zaforteza). There is a very large stone-paved hall,
hung with pictures, which opens on to a narrow garden leading to
terraces up the mountain-side, fountains, and artificial grottos. In
front there is a long pergola of roses, orange and lemon groves, and a
splendid old yew-tree. The mountains are clothed with ilex as well as
pine-trees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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