Art Nouveau Route in Sóller

It was the 19^th century. Sóller had already lived through several agricultural crises and consequently, some of its inhabitants had emigrated. When prosperity returned, they came back to their natal village, enriched and infected with the Modernist fever that reined all over Europe at the time. This is how Sóller redefined its urban style in favour of ornamentation, aesthetics and fashion. A stroll through this beautiful village will transport us to that period when Sóller inhaled a new air that had arrived from across the sea, and we can see how it all lives in perfect harmony with the rural image that also reigns in the town.

Palma, Sóller and Lluc were the most important modernist centres in Mallorca. The emergence of Modernism in Palma coincided with the gestation period and approval of the Urban Expansion Plan designed by the architect and town planner, Bernat Calvet. In the early 19th century, Palma (alike other Spanish cities) essentially maintained the 17th century structure, enclosed within the monumental ring of its walls. In the mid 19th century, there was a desire to pull the walls down and work began in 1902.

Open your eyes and enjoy the emblematic Iglesia de Sant Bartomeu church, the Banco de Sóller with its clear influence by Gaudí, the manor houses such as Ca la Nena, Can Moiana and Can Massana. A must is the Art Nouveau museum in Can Prunera, the manor houses Can Magraner, Can Dolç and Can Cremat and the enigmatic cemetery of Sóller and its collection of Art Nouveau sculptures.