The painted isle: The arty side of Mallorca

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Olive groves, hidden gorges, panoramic views and the most beautiful mountain villages of the island: a charming long-distance hiking trail leads away from mass tourism across Mallorca's wild Tramuntana mountains.

We want to hike the Tramuntana mountains complete - a hard way, dry and beautiful. Follow me all the way to the other side of a well known and complete unknown isle - today we're on a hidden beach.

(Please read chapter one here, chapter two here, three here, four here and five, six & seven & eight and nine

An old tradition: Mallorcas painted tiles

If you are a fan of colorful street art, sure the last thing you would think of is flying to Mallorca. This is no different if you like hiking: then you are drawn to Nepal, to Austria or to Norway and Canada, but certainly not to the Balearic island. But with one as with the other applies: Mistake!

And  younger: painted walls

Great mistake! If you travel to Mallorca for hiking, you will be surprised how exciting, interesting and exhausting the small island can be. Mallorca had jungles, wild life, hills and summits, rocky roads and gravel paths. And a lot more: Those who like to explore cities and countries on foot will find much more in Mallorca besides wild nature, friendly people and beautiful, ancient buildings.

Maybe the oldest kind of street art

Palma may not be Berlin, but more and more "street art" is popping up in the city, too. But Mallorca is also far from being as daubed with unhinged, unattractive and smeared images as many German cities.

And  a younger one

Inspiring for artists

The island has always been an inspiring place for artists because of the special Mediterranean light. The colors here are different, the views care changing with the sun. Not only in museums like Es Baluard and events like Nit del Art, the free art of street artists is available everywhere here to anyone who opens their eyes to see it.

Rusty iron forced to being art

Graffiti of young, wild artists, who are still try to learn their skills you will hardly find. No sketches, tags or slogans on the island. But you will find a very special kind of tiles, colored glasses and large-format paintings that artists like Jakuna Melata leave everywhere in the city.

Iron horse art

The city's most famous sprayer tags his paintings with the acronym SOMA, but his real name is Marc Perris. He works as an art teacher and specializes in rotten facades that still disfigure entire streets in Palma despite the real estate boom.

Cicken egg art

Art with expiration date

With his graffiti he wants to make such streets more beautiful - and he succeeds. Unfortunately for Perris, his street art has an expiration date: as soon as investors arrive and the construction workers move in, his works first disappear behind building plans. And then they're gone altogether, covered over with fresh plaster and fresh paint.

A very beautiful painting

The entire island has two faces. At first glance, the medieval city palaces, the magnificent patios and the elegant Art Nouveau facades enchant us. But next to the streets, which prefer the great streams of visitors, in the narrow and dark alleys wait real discoveries with morbid charm.

A tiles for a holy man

Painted tiles

Unique are the painted tiles that can be seen again and again. The models for modern tile art, which now exist in nearly every major cities around the world, have a centuries-old tradition here. The images of saints (paneles callejeros), which are often placed on the exterior doors of properties, have their roots in the time of the Bourbon Carlos III (1731-1735 Duke of Parma, 1723-1759 King of Naples and Sicily), under whom a French influence spread in Spain.

Not so very often: Smeared slogans

King Carlos III ordered the establishment of faience factories at that time. The painting of the tiles from these workshops is characterized by very precise drawing of ornaments and delicate pastel colors - this is where the tradition of small religious murals on tiles originated, which exist in many forms, up to the Catalan 'azulejos de oficios' (artisan tiles).

The try to make art...

Not always saints

The images are showing often, but not always saints, but sometimes of ordinary people. According to the clothing, the ornamental tiles often depict people doing kitchen work (panel de cocina). However, there are also kitchen utensils, fruits, vegetables and pets painted on tiles. Other tiles recall saints such as Santa Catalina Thomas, the saint of Valldemossa.

Jesus own tile

It was not until the 19th century that these tiles became affordable to broad sections of the population, thanks to the introduction of pre-industrial techniques. Today you can hardly find a house on the island that does not have tile. Because "non ava casa con azulejos", says the Castilian when he wants to call someone a poor devil. No one is at home in a house without tiles is called.

Meet the holy man

Thank you for reading and if you like my work please follow me          on Hive, Travelfeed or Steem or visit my homepage koenau.de

A few more pictures for you:

The tile gallery

Pilgrimage, 10. station

Italian ice cream on spanish island, painted in Berlin style

Chose one if you have a house

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