Marratxinet is the oldest settlement in the municipality. Until the end of the 17th century, it was considered the town centre, when several estates began to be established around which other settlements developed. In the middle of the 20th century, as a result of these changes, it received its current name, since until then it had been called Marratxí. Etymologically, the word Marratxí has several Arabic origins: as a Mozarabic derivative of barraca, from the Arabic word Marrksi or from the word Marruqush. It is possible that the first parish church in the municipality, Santa Maria de Marratxí, was located in this nucleus. It is believed that this church was built during the 13th century, although no remains have been found.
It is a village of great value where we can find a good sample of popular Mallorcan architecture, such as some restored country houses and numerous simple houses from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The urban centre itself consists of only one original street, Sa Font street, around which the most outstanding elements are grouped.
Sa Font de Marratxinet
This public fountain probably dates back to the end of the 17th century and is part of the Baroque style. It is formed by a cistern neck made of sandstone and has a depth of 6.6 metres. Made of limestone, next to it there is a spout and a trough so that beasts of burden, such as horses and donkeys, could drink.
It was said that this fountain provided “very weak” water. In 1964, a well opened by a neighbour nearby left it dry, and for this reason the cooperation of the Provincial Council was requested to make it deeper, although it is currently dry. It is included in all the inventories of Marratxí Town Council’s assets and in the Catalogue of Elements of Artistic, Historical, Environmental and Architectural Heritage Interest.
Oratory
The oratory is part of the parish of Sant Marçal, and was built in the 1940s, taking advantage of the existing house of ca’n Monjo, with the financial help of the town and the lords of the Son Sales estate. In the historicist style, also known as romanticism, it attempts to recover the architecture of times gone by. It is a small, simple chapel with stone doorways and oculus-shaped windows. It was built because of the need for a new place of worship when the last nuns who lived in the convent of Marratxinet moved out, thus replacing the former oratory of the Blaves nuns from the 1920s, which no longer exists.
In the meantime, to attend religious services, people had to travel to Sant Marçal, the parish par excellence of Marratxí, or to Santa María del Camino. Above the main doorway we see the inscription “Domus Dei” or “House of God” and above the side doorway we can read “Domus Orationis” or “House of Prayer”. At the top is a belfry with a bell and an iron cross.
Convent of Ca ses Monges
Originally known as ca’n Fullana, it later became an old convent of Franciscan nuns dating from the 19th century. This religious community began its activity in Marratxinet in 1929, building the only school for the children in the area. Little by little, the buildings and their functions were extended until it became a house of spirituality, a school for nuns and a public school. It brought a lot of movement to the village, as it was a place for meetings and gatherings.
Ca’n Vador painted tiles
If you look at the overhang of the façade house called ca’n Vador – which once housed the old town hall of Marratxí – you will find a manifestation of what is known as “painted tiles“. Between the 16th and 19th centuries in Mallorca, it was customary to decorate this element, used as a space for the expression of the popular imagination. Its origins go back to Greek temples, Romanesque architecture, the Islamic world and the Andalusian decoration of architectural ceramics, among others.
Painted tiles are not exclusive to the island, as they can be found in the former Crown of Aragon: the Pyrenees, Catalonia and the Valencian Country, in present-day Aragon, as well as in the south of France. Similar examples have also been found in La Rioja, the Basque Country, Castilla la Mancha, and even in Chile and Brazil. In the Balearic Islands, the only island is Mallorca, with more in the area of the Sierra de Tramuntana, but with representation in practically all the municipalities. We can find them from 1525 to 1889. The most representative villages are Fornalutx and Sóller.
As for the technique, they were firstly whitewashed in lime mortar. When they were half wet, they were decorated with different mineral pigments: mangra earth (iron oxide) for the red colour, charcoal for the black colour and copper oxide for the green colour, among others. All this process was done before they were placed on the roof. Today, it is difficult to observe this whitening process due to the passage of time. It is a technique that is little documented beyond the material remains. It can be deduced that, due to the spontaneity of the lines, it was probably carried out by the craftsmen and helpers who built it, so the authorship is anonymous.
The purpose of this decorative expression is the subject of several hypotheses. On the one hand, some authors claim that it was a symbolic addition and that it was a protective ritual to defend the house from evil spirits, evil eyes or evil spells in general. It could be that it was part of a coronation rite, since the roof is an important part of the house. Others only give it an anecdotal or purely decorative meaning. The vast majority agree and relate it to a religious point of view.
These decorations have been found in popular architecture, as well as in churches and village possessions. No remains have been found in utilitarian buildings, such as cellars, dovecotes or haystacks.
At ca’n Vador, up to 20 red-painted roof tiles have been found, despite the fact that originally the entire roof must have been decorated. Today, only 17 have been preserved. They date from 1809, as one of the inscriptions states. The subject is varied and includes human figures – some depicting trades – animals, plant motifs, religious motifs and abstract drawings.
