Geodyssea
History
History
The history of Sóller goes tied to the history of the man. Example of this is that in several excavations carried out in some places in the mountain of Muleta, vestiges of "talaiòtic" period have been discovered inside of a cave that soar up in a period between 5200 bC and the 2700 bC. There are, moreover, three statues of bronze in the Museum of Mallorca found in the zone of the "Roca Roja", (centuries IV-III bC.) of a bellicose divinity of the Balearic prehistory. But if an event marks the trajectory of our town this occurs in the 16th century when the bleeding episode of the Moorish invasion of the town is produced. On 11 May of 1561, a coalition of Algerian corsairs commanded by Otxali i Iusuf-Arrais formed a squad with twenty-two vessels to attack Mallorca .This navy, before arriving to Mallorca, stopped in Eivissa to supply itself with water.This made that the Majorcan ones received notice that the attack would start in Sóller, and the General Captain of Mallorca Guillem de Rocafull, sent a notice to the captain of Sóller, Joan Angelats, as well as in Bunyola, Santa Maria and Alaró so that they gave its help. The Majorcan ones went out towards "Camp de s´oca", direction to Port de Sóller. Some 1.600 corsairs disembarked in the zone of "Ses Puntes" without the guards of land notice.The invaders divided into two groups: while one went directly towards the port, the other walked round and attacked Sóller from the north, obtaining a big booty. The sollerics,who had gone out towards the port, were found between two fires and decided to attack the corsair group that was in the port. Once resumed the port they decided to expect that the second group came back loaded with the booty, women and children, who they intended to take away like slaves. When the corsairs felt in danger they killed many prisoners, which were pursued by the Majorcan ones until the cliffs. Two facts have to be remarked: the "Valentes Dones" (Brave Women) of Ca´n Tamany that liquidated with the bar of the door the pirates that assaulted her house and an entry of bandits who made a great damage on the Saracenic rows by which they were forgiven for the king Felip II. These facts are remembered every year in a festivity that is celebrated every second weekend in May. Because of the corsairs, from the 16th century, the Tower "Torre Picada" and the castle of the Port de Sóller were built(today known like "Sa Torre"). A part of the village was also fortified, although from this last work only it remains a piece of wall beside the parish church.
The history of Sóller goes tied to the history of the man. Example of this is that in several excavations carried out in some places in the mountain of Muleta, vestiges of "talaiòtic" period have been discovered inside of a cave that soar up in a period between 5200 bC and the 2700 bC. There are, moreover, three statues of bronze in the Museum of Mallorca found in the zone of the "Roca Roja", (centuries IV-III bC.) of a bellicose divinity of the Balearic prehistory. But if an event marks the trajectory of our town this occurs in the 16th century when the bleeding episode of the Moorish invasion of the town is produced. On 11 May of 1561, a coalition of Algerian corsairs commanded by Otxali i Iusuf-Arrais formed a squad with twenty-two vessels to attack Mallorca .This navy, before arriving to Mallorca, stopped in Eivissa to supply itself with water.This made that the Majorcan ones received notice that the attack would start in Sóller, and the General Captain of Mallorca Guillem de Rocafull, sent a notice to the captain of Sóller, Joan Angelats, as well as in Bunyola, Santa Maria and Alaró so that they gave its help. The Majorcan ones went out towards "Camp de s´oca", direction to Port de Sóller. Some 1.600 corsairs disembarked in the zone of "Ses Puntes" without the guards of land notice.The invaders divided into two groups: while one went directly towards the port, the other walked round and attacked Sóller from the north, obtaining a big booty. The sollerics,who had gone out towards the port, were found between two fires and decided to attack the corsair group that was in the port. Once resumed the port they decided to expect that the second group came back loaded with the booty, women and children, who they intended to take away like slaves. When the corsairs felt in danger they killed many prisoners, which were pursued by the Majorcan ones until the cliffs. Two facts have to be remarked: the "Valentes Dones" (Brave Women) of Ca´n Tamany that liquidated with the bar of the door the pirates that assaulted her house and an entry of bandits who made a great damage on the Saracenic rows by which they were forgiven for the king Felip II. These facts are remembered every year in a festivity that is celebrated every second weekend in May. Because of the corsairs, from the 16th century, the Tower "Torre Picada" and the castle of the Port de Sóller were built(today known like "Sa Torre"). A part of the village was also fortified, although from this last work only it remains a piece of wall beside the parish church.
XIX and XX Centuries
The importance commercial increase of Port de Sóller and an agriculture strongly developed, based on the growing of the olive tree and the fruit trees made that during the third decade of the century XIX Sóller knew a progressive growth of its economy. In 1835, as a consequence of this economic development, started a migratory movement towards the American colonies and south of France motivated because of an increase of population. But above all for the desire to open new markets based on the trade of the citrus. It was then when the textile industry knew its maximum development creating small commercial companies.Some of these factories are today still set up converted in mute witnesses of the industrial past solleric who worked until the seventies.
In 1865, a strong plague attacked the almost whole of the orange trees of the valley, affecting in a hard way in the main source of wealth of the city.This provoked a new migratory current, this time more specialized, towards south of France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Spanish east, where these emigrants established their prosperous businesses for afterwards, to come back and to enjoy the capital obtained from their effort. They were the makers of the prosperity and the progress that lived in
Sóller in the change of century, during which, it achieved at last to go out of its isolation. The opening of the valley to
the rest of the island was produced in 1912, with the inauguration of the train line between Palma and Sóller.
UTM 31N ETRS89(475593, 4401836 m). © 2009 The Soller Town Hall. All rights reserved. Legal Notice / Stats |