VALLDEMOSSA

The oldest land registry documents list the name "Vallis de Musso" or "Muco" or "Mutzo", which over the centuries was transformed into Vallis de Muza, or Mussa. From this we get the present name, Valldemossa, a splendid and deservedly famous part of Mallorca.

Its climate and natural beauty inspired the Romans and Moors to build their residences here many centuries ago; King Jaime II "the Good" was particularly fond of the so-called "El Pujol" hill and, with the excuse that his son and heir Sancho was an asthma sufferer, he built the palace known today as "Palau del Rei Sanxo" on its slopes.

The church that we can see today was inaugurated on August 15 - 1812. It is a typical example of neoclassic architecture, especially its "Latin" lay-out, barrels vaults, and the ceiling and cupola frescoes painted by Manuel Bayeu, Goya´s brother-in-law. Although the flooring is quite damaged, we can still make out the original majolica that once decorated it. The main altar features precious 16th century mahogany decorations.

And so, the tranquil file of the monks slowly marked the passing of the centuries until Aug. 12 - 1835, the Count of Montenegro, Commander-in-chief of the Balearic Islands, decided to use his newly granted powers extraordinarie to abolish all the religious orders on the island and close all the convents associated with them. Three days later, the monks abandoned the monastery and all their belongings were auctioned to the public.

The Charterhouse was bought by a French banker, Antoine Canut (who was later to become the banker to George Sand). He divided it up between himself and eight other persons in 1845, although he excluded the church, the chapels, the sacresty and the chapter-house from this transaction. The cells were rented out to private parties. After the revolution, the monks tried to buy back their monastery but the high asking price (400.000 pesetas in 1886) forced them to abandon their plan.

At this point, we reach one of the most famous chapters in the story of the Charterhouse: the period covering the winter of 1838 - 39 when Frédéric Chopin and George Sand came to live there.

The two embarked from Barcelona at 5p:m. on November 7 and arrived to Palma at 11.30 the next morning aboard the El Mallorquin" - the same ferry that would take them back under less happy circumstances 98 days later. Their party included George Sand´s children, Maurice and Solange, and a maid. Amelia.

George Sand, born Aurore Dupin, divorced from Casimir Dudevant, the former mistress of De Musset, a chain smoker, constantly dressed in men´s clothing, open-minded and free-liver, and Frédéric Chopin, already a famous musician, racked with illness, and of unstable humor: this pair could not help but stir a scandal among the puritanical, moralistic society of the time. Apparently, the feeling was mutual.

The weather was gloomy and the openly hostile attitude of the inhabitants left a bitter memory is the mind and writings of George Sand. In spite of some enthusiastic passages dedicated to savage beauty of the island, her book "Un Hiver á Majorque" describes the local townsfolk as "barbarians and monkeys", and she even goes so far as to compare them with the heathens of Polynesia!

Although no documents state for sure just was cells Chopin and George Sand occupied, tradition has it that they stayed in No.s 2 and 4. It should also be pointed out that almost nothing of their personal belongings of furnishings remains since the fear of contacting the tuberculosis from which Chopin was suffering caused the townspeople to either burn or destroy all that was left behind. The first cell contains a display case with the death mask and cast of Chopin´s hand (done by the sculptor Schlésinger, George Sand´s son-in-law) and eleven handwritten letters.

A small Majorcan piano, upon which Chopin composed most of his works from this period, stands in a corner. In particular, he used to write the "water drop" prelude, composed during a midnight storm when Chopin, troubled by strange disease-induced hallucinations, sat at the piano convinced he was already dead. The critics have since had a field day trying to identify the exact piece. Some, such as Liszt, believe it is Prelude No. 8, while others hold it is No. 6; still others (including Maurice Sand, who has the best claim on exactitude) say it is Prelude No. 15.

The only thing that is certain is that Chopin infused it with all his nervous frenzy, obtaining the prodigious, characteristic effect of the Prelude by obstinately, obsessively repeating one note: a G minor sostenuto.

For more information and history of Mallorca, read the English edition of Mallorca.
Book from Casa Editrice Bonechi
Text by Giovanna Magi
http://www.bonechi.it

 

 

 

 

BACK TO      “MAIN PAGE”