The Serra de Tramuntana of Mallorca. Physical and human landscape (DOI: 10.2436/20.3000.02.17)

Abstract

The Serra de Tramuntana covers 1,041 km2 distributed into eighteen municipalities, covering more than a quarter of the area of the island of Mallorca. It is the most rugged part of the island due to the asymmetric thrust faults whose edges from the Jurassic are frequently higher than 1,000 metres in altitude. The limestone formation explains the rich variety of karst forms and leads to a peculiar water circulation route. Most of the numerous endemic plants of the Balearic Islands are concentrated in this mountainous region. The olive tree, one of the products (along with wheat and grapevines) within the Mediterranean trilogy cited by V. Mut in the 17th century, was brought to the mountain range in large estates. The oil trade, which was very active until the 19th century, was the economic mainstay of these estates. The strategic aspect of the mountain range takes specific shape in the "castells roquers" or castles built on cliffs and in an episode in 1594 which planned the deportation of "useless" people to mountain shelters. The Serra's role as a place of spiritual refuge has led to several sites, such as the Lluc sanctuary. This paper analyses two coastal towns along with three other towns which resulted from the merger of several smaller nuclei.

Key words: Mallorca, mountain, olive growing, settlement, defence

Original source: Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Geografia, 76: 215-230 (2013)