Monastery, much? 😎 (part 2)

Let’s see

The Monastery of Miramar, located in the “posessió” of the same name is in the municipality of Valldemossa. This restful place was founded in 1276 by Jaume II, at the request of Ramon Llull, to host a missionary school dedicated to the teaching of Arabic and other Eastern languages, with the aim of preparing friars to convert infidels to Christianity.

As the Archduke himself writes in Die Balearen: “Without a doubt, no other place on earth can more properly bear the name of Miramar”. At that time the estate also included an area where the Archduke built in 1878 a unique Sicilian-style house and enhanced the cultivation of vineyard. If you want to travel to Mallorca in winter, this will be a great option.

A bit of history

At the death of the Archduke, the property of Miramar, passed through different hands, but since the 90s is owned by the actor Michael Douglas and his ex-wife, Diandra. Miramar currently houses a museum where you can find some objects, documents and works of art related to the worlds that Llull and the Archduke lived.

The road that leads to Miramar is on the road between Valldemossa and Deià. The visit through the map room of the Archduke and the old oil mill (in Mallorcan, “tàfona”). Then we went to the garden and the cloister, which the Archduke had built from Gothic arches of the thirteenth century from the old convent of Santa Margalida de Palma. From here you can access the house, passing through the authentic columns of the old cloister built by Ramon Llull in the 13^thcentury and found by the Archduke in different parts of the estate.

Wait, there is more

Leaving the house, there is an access to the garden, that connects to the viewpoint, from which you can see spectacular views of the sea. The walk continues in the garden, a very unique space in which there are geometric figures of Ramon Llull drawn on the flowerbeds and an Italian style pond built in the time of the Archduke. Returning along the same road, the cypress garden can be reached, which still has remains in the form of a Byzantine cross from the base of the old church.

Miramar, together with Son Marroig and the Cartoixa de Valldemossa, is one of the most interesting cultural sites in this area of ​​the Serra de Tramuntana. Visits can be made from Tuesday to Sunday and admission costs 3 euros for adults and is free for children. It is only a few minutes away by car, but the best thing would be for you to ask us for information at reception, in order to find out what is the best way to get to that part of the island. The Palladium Palma hotel will be your hotel in Mallorca.

Photo credits: pizzatravel.com.ua and xmallorca.com