Sóller Explained

Sóller
Settlement Type:Municipality
Pushpin Map:Spain Majorca#Spain Balearic Islands#Spain
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Majorca
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Spain
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous community
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Balearic Islands
Subdivision Type3:Island
Subdivision Name3:Majorca
Subdivision Type4:Comarca
Subdivision Name4:Serra de Tramuntana
Subdivision Type5:Judicial district
Subdivision Name5:Palma de Mallorca
Coordinates:39.7676°N 2.714°W
Elevation M:59
Area Total Km2:42.80
Population Demonym:Solleric, Sollerica
Population Density Km2:auto
Blank Name Sec1:Official language(s)
Blank Info Sec1:Catalan and Spanish
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:07100
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Leader Title:Alcalde
Leader Name:Carlos Simarro Vicens
Leader Party:PP

Sóller (in Catalan; Valencian pronounced as /ˈso.ʎə/) is a town and municipality near the north west coast of the Balearic Island of Mallorca, Spain, 3 km inland from Port de Sóller, in a large, bowl-shaped valley that also includes the village of Fornalutx and the hamlets of Biniaraix and Binibassi. The population is around 14,000. The Tranvía de Sóller tram links Sóller to Port de Sóller.

Overview

Sóller[1] is linked by the historic railway, the Ferrocarril de Sóller, and by a highway with a tunnel, to the Majorcan capital of Palma. The Ferrocaril was built on the profits from the orange and lemon trade and completed in 1911. The Andratx-Pollença highway also runs through the valley. The present-day economy is based mainly on tourism and the expenditure of foreign residents, complementary to the agricultural economy based around citrus and olive groves. Soller is unique compared to towns on the rest of the island due to its geographical isolation, being surrounded by the Serra de Tramuntana. This isolation from all other major towns on the island, made it easier to trade with French merchants arriving by sea.[2]

Main sights

The focus of the town is the Plaça Constitució which is surrounded by cafés and has plane trees and a fountain in its centre. The tram passes through the Plaça on its way to and from the main station which has been restored to incorporate a museum of Picasso and Joan Miró. The church of Sant Bartomeu (Saint Bartholomew) facing the east side of the Plaça is flanked by the ajuntament (town hall) and the Banco de Sóller, a remarkable 1912 Modernista building with defining ironwork, by the Catalan architect Joan Rubió i Bellver, a follower of Antoni Gaudí. The bank's organisation was founded in 1889 with the money of emigrants who returned prosperous to Sóller. On the other hand, the church can clearly be seen standing out from the canopy of the town from other parts of the Vall de Sóller (the surrounding valley). The original building dates from some time before 1236. The current main interior structure is now largely baroque (1688–1733).

The campanar (belltower) blends in well with its neo-gothic design. The remarkable façade is a 1904 construction, also by Joan Rubió. The old street plan is of Islamic origin and lined with historic houses of the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The town has a covered market and is bisected by a fast flowing river with a number of bridges. Sóller is also notable for the houses built in the early twentieth century by emigrants who returned wealthy to the town, particularly those on the Gran Via which reflect the fin de siècle Art Nouveau styles of France.

The renowned Jardí Botanic (botanical garden) is on the outskirts of the town and is laid out with the plants of the Balearics and the Mediterranean islands. The Modernista mansion in the garden houses El Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals[3] (The Museum of Balearic Natural Sciences).

Events

Museums

Notable people

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: histocat..
  2. Web site: The History of Sóller.
  3. http://www.museucienciesnaturals.org/index.php?idioma=en Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals
  4. Web site: Sa Mostra International Folklore Festival: A week long festival of folklore & dancing. See Mallorca. 16 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240716003659/https://www.seemallorca.com/events/calendar/sa-mostra-international-folklore-festival-soller. en. 16 July 2024. 2018. live.
  5. Web site: Sa Mostra: mostra internacional folklòrica . Sollernet. 16 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20160731041157/http://www.sollernet.com/samostra/index.html. es. 31 July 2016. 2001. Sa Mostra the International Folklore Festival of Sóller.
  6. Web site: Museo del Casal de Cultura en Sollernet. Sollernet. 16 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828074636/http://sollernet.com/casal/indexes.html. es. 28 August 2016. 2001.
  7. Web site: Casal de Cultura Homepage. Museu de Sóller: Casal de Cultura. 16 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240715232248/https://casaldecultura.com/. es. 15 July 2024. 2023. live.