Houses

SAN LUIS

Stately homes in the municipality of San Luis

The farmsteads or clusters of rural buildings are the most characteristic feature of the landscape in the southern area of San Luis. We refer to the rural centers of Binifadet, les Barraques, el Pou Nou, el Consell, Torret, S'Ullastrar, Binialí, Biniparrel, and les barracas. These are dwellings built near a path, separated from one another and surrounded by small vegetable gardens. Hereditary transmission favored the appearance of these houses, as the main estate was left to the eldest son, while a plot was reserved for each of the other children to build a house. These rural population centers experienced significant growth starting in the 18th century, coinciding with the British dominations. Vegetable and grape production saw a great boom, and irrigation zones were expanded to meet the demand of the population of Mahón and its surroundings. The construction of numerous "dry stone" walls, which in this area reaches unexpected limits, was a consequence of the intensification of cultivation and the greater utilization of the land. Back in the year 1373, King Peter IV addressed a letter to his representative on the island in which he authorized the parceling out of estates, although he made it clear that access to the sea should not be obstructed. Today, the farmsteads or "casolanies" have lost the agricultural significance of their creation, although they constitute the most beautiful examples of Menorca's rural architecture. These buildings present a peculiar typology, with a roof where the east-west orientation predominates, and are formed by a two-story structure, with a terrace over the entrance and other smaller structures attached to the main core. Even today, the inhabitants of these farmsteads maintain the custom of whitewashing the walls, and many, even the roof of their houses. In addition to these characteristic rural population centers, the various stately homes of the "posesiones" or estates must be mentioned; some stand out for their dimensions and architectural forms: "Lloc d'en Caules", "Torret de Dalt", "Alcaufar Vell", and "Binissafúller d'en Moysi", the latter with influences from Catalan Baroque farmhouses.