Miramar Monastery

Summer is coming to an end but one of the benefits of life on the island is that almost normally good weather to travel and discover more. Today we are going to talk about an architectural jewel of Mallorca: the Miramar Monastery.

The Miramar Monastery, located in the “posessió” of the same name is in the municipality of Valldemossa. This haven of peace 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 Oriental languages, with the aim of preparing friars to convert faithless to Christianity.

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

An emblematic place

Upon the death of the Archduke, Miramar’s property went through different hands, but since the 1990s it is owned by actor Michael Douglas and his ex-wife, Diandra. Miramar currently houses a museum where there are some objects, documents and works of art related to Ramón Llull and the Archduke.

The road that leads to Miramar is on the road between Valldemossa and Deià. The visit to the Archduke’s map room and the old oil mill (in Mallorcan, “tàfona”).
Next, we pass to the garden and the cloister that the Archduke had built from some 13th century Gothic arches 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 that Ramon Llull built in the thirteenth century and that were found by the Archduke at different points of the estate.

Going beyond

Leaving the house, you access the garden that connects with the viewpoint, from where you can see spectacular views over the sea. The walk continues in the garden, a very unique space where you can find geometric figures of Ramon Llull drawn in the flower beds and an Italian-style pond built during the Archduke. When you return along the same path you reach the cypress garden, which still retains remains in the shape 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 places 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 it is best to ask for information at the reception to find out the best way to get to that part of the island. At the Palladium Palma hotel we will be more than happy to help you plan your trip to the Monastery.