Photographer:
Romtomtom – CC Creative Commons
Santanyí is in the south of Mallorca. The municipal district covers an area of 126.3 km2, with a 35 km stretch of coastline which includes some of the best unspoilt beaches in Mallorca and the Mondragó Natural Park. The village of Santanyí was founded in 1300 by King Jaume II of Mallorca on the site of an existing settlement. The old quarter provides a good example of traditional Mallorcan architecture, with numerous portals with semi-circular arches and other architectural features made from Marès stone from Santanyí; this sandstone is used extensively in Mallorcan construction, and the stone from this area is finer and of a better quality than that from the rest of the island. In fact, stone from Santanyí was used in the construction of the cathedral of La Seu in Palma.
During the 16th century the town suffered numerous attacks by pirates from North Africa owing to its proximity to the island of Cabrera, as pirates hid out on the island and on the coves along the coast. In order to protect the town from these attacks, a wall was built, of which one of the entrance gates – Porta Murada – still remains.
Santanyí´s most important monument is the Parish Church of Sant Andreu, which exists in records going as far back as 1265. The current building has its origins in the chapel of Capella del Roser, which dates from the 14th century and which was constructed in a transitional style taking in both Romanesque and Gothic elements. At the end of the 18th century the church was vastly expanded with the addition of a new construction joined onto the earlier one, where there is a monumental organ which came from the Convent of Sant Domingo in Palma de Mallorca.
The Sanctuary of La Mare de Déu de la Consolació (Sanctuary of Mother of God of Consolation) is located at the top of a hill near S´Alqueria Blanca as you head towards Santanyí. It is a complex of buildings from the 15th century which is protected by walls, with a church with a single nave with a barrel-vault ceiling.
Calonge
Calonge is a small hamlet very close to S’Horta and Cala d’Or which has over 500 residents. According to local legend, when King Jaume I passed this spot it reminded him of the village of Calonge in the Empordà region of Catalonia, and he thus bestowed it with this name.