After the Christian conquest of Mallorca, the lands granted to the Bishop of Barcelona, Berenguer de Palou, were colonized and, during King Sancho’s reign, a court was established there under the combined jurisdiction of the king and bishop. 

In a municipality of dry barren land, many vestiges still remain of the intensive use that was made of the natural resources in its inland valleys and mountains. Numerous examples of cleared fields, paths, wells, walls, huts and piles of stone can be found on the lands of the big wealthy estate houses that still rise up above more fertile stretches of soil.

The Calvià and Capdellà areas feature some of the clearest examples of the evolution of man’s occupation of the island. This is no longer perceptible in other parts of the municipality due to tourism development. 

Molinos de Galatzó (M. A. Escanelles)

The town of Calvià and old Galilea road

Standing by the intersection of the Santa Ponça, Bendinat and Puigpunyent roads is the Church of Saint John the Baptist (1). Carrer de sa Capelleta (2) is a street with an oratory and a cross that leads off Carrer Major and climbs up to Carrer de Son Mir. This last tarmac road goes into Vall Negra valley, once inhabited by ancient settlers. The original old Galilea road continues northward to Son Font. At Sa Coma, two fine examples of popular architecture can still be seen: an open water supply channel and the water tank of Pou Nou (3), whose water comes from Font de la Vila spring. 

After crossing Son Font housing estate and some stretches of farmland, the partially cobbled track goes up to Sa Plana and Puig de na Bauçana peak, with its breath-taking views. It then leads to Coll des Molí de Vent (Ma-1032), close to Galilea. 

Pou Nou (Vicenç Sastre)

Es Capdellà and Galatzó public estate

The town of Es Capdellà dates back to the late 17th century, when day labourers settled on estates close to the intersection of the Peguera, Andratx to Calvià, and Galatzó roads. Galatzó valley and its estate house (1) can be reached by travelling along this last road and crossing Coll Gomà pass. In the 18th century, it belonged to the Evil Count, Ramon Safortesa, whose ghost is said to appear on a black horse, searching for redemption. The estate house’s main façade, which is dotted with pebbles, stands out for the door to the courtyard (where visits can be made to an olive oil press) and door to the chapel. The orchards and kitchen gardens are presided over by a network of water mills and irrigation ponds. Along the Ses Sínies route, a series of items of ethnological interest can be seen, including Sa Cometa spring (2), Na Llaneres lime kilns, charcoal-makers’ huts and charcoal furnaces, a prehistoric boat-shaped monument known locally as a naveta and Pou de ses Sínies well (3). 

Casas de Galatzó (M. A. Escanelles)