The Muro mountain range, elongated between history and legend

PalmAlthough the route we describe this week begins and ends in Santa Margalida, the town, it actually passes through four municipalities, including Muro, Llubí, and Maria de la Salut. In fact, the route's main focus is the Muro mountain range and the estates of Castellet, Tanca, and Son Tovell. Beyond municipal and property boundaries, we visit a territory marked by the long and dark shadow of the past: that of Count Mal. Ramon Burgues Safortesa Pax-Fuster de Villalonga y Nieto, the second Count of Santa María de Formiguera, waged a bitter and violent legal battle during the 17th century, with tragic consequences, against the town of Santa Margalida, its university, and its people. The lawsuits centered primarily on the nobleman and his family's interest in direct control and the collection of tithes from the common lands, as well as their claim to exercise civil and criminal jurisdiction over the inhabitants of his estates. "Because of the misdeeds he committed in life, his soul found no rest and he was condemned to wander the lands he ruled in life, from Santa Margalida to Galatzó" (source: Count Evil: Between History and LegendCatalina Valriu and Tomàs Vibot. El Gallo Editor, 2013). And before starting the route, a very special thanks to the historians Antoni Mas Forners, from Villa, and Pau Mateu Vives, from Muro, for all the historical and toponymic information collected on this route.

The route

[00 min] We begin our walk from the bus stop (L-316 Son Serra-Inca) in Plaça de la Vila. From here, heading west, we walk towards the outskirts of the village along Carrer de Joan Ordinas i Tous (Santa Margalida, 1839 – Girona, 1899). The Ordinas family home is at the beginning of the street, on the left. This is one of the many prominent figures that Santa Margalida has produced. He was an opera singer in the bass section, debuted at the Liceu in Barcelona in 1864, and was an honorary professor at the Milan Conservatory. We reach the ring road (Ma-3340) and turn right, towards the roundabout that provides access to the village from Llubí, Muro, or Can Picafort. You're alive! Because halfway along, the Oms and Son Fotja path begins [5 min], which is where our walk now continues.

This old path, now paved, heads towards the mistral, where we can see the long hill of the Muro mountain range. But first, we cross the Llubí road (Ma-3440), near the Acequia Real irrigation canal [10 min]. The path climbs gently up the slopes where wide, seemingly inaccessible fields stretch out. At the end [30 min], our path forks: to the right is the Les Sunyeres path; to the left, the Castellet path. Both formed part of what was known as the Camí del Mar (Sea Path), an old communication route between the interior of the island and the Bay of Alcúdia, which reached the sea at Can Picafort. We take the Castellet path, to the left. Shortly after, the path turns to the right, opposite the houses of Castellet. The path clearly continues towards Muro, although not far from the houses we leave it to the left [35 min], a tyrant constrained by the abundant and spongy vegetation.

[45 min] We cross the Muro to María de la Salud road (Ma-3443). On the other side of the narrow road, the path forks. To the left is the Camí de la Partió, so named because its route marks the boundary between the municipalities of Muro and Santa Margalida. We continue along the Camí Vell de Sineu, to the right, a continuation of the old Camí de la Mar inland. [50 min] Suddenly, through the undergrowth, the houses of Tanca appear before us, a hamlet and former estate, historically recorded as one of the holdings of the second Count of Santa María de Formiguera, near Santa Margalida. The lands were acquired by Safortesa in the 15th century. The toponym Tanca, probably a surname from Tangier, points to the Andalusian influence in the region.

We continue our walk along the old Sineu road, also known as the Mar road, in the same direction that has brought us here. [1 hr 00 min] We reach a major fork in the road, and although it may seem surprising, we don't go right or left, but rather take the middle path. We'll find it if, where the road forks, we turn slightly right and then suddenly left onto a narrow path, which is where the road actually continues. [1 hr 05 min] It soon widens and places us in front of the houses of Son Forners, a few meters from the boundary between Muro and Llubí. We leave the Son Forners road to our right and continue on foot, heading south, along a wide and comfortable path that leads into the Son Tovell pine forest. A dense forest that adorns and embellishes this section of the Muro mountain range, an elongated hill steeped in history and legend.

Possession of Sa Torreta

The path leads us to the Llubí to Santa Margalida road (Ma-3440) [1 hr 20 min], right next to the intersection with the Muro to Sineu road, on our right. We must now follow this latter road, initially towards Sineu, although we will soon turn right towards Maria de la Salut [1 hr 25 min]. This short stretch of asphalt allows us to enjoy the cultural landscape of this region of the Pla de Mallorca, with its extensive fields and historic estates. We cross the boundary between Llubí and Maria de la Salut, and we can already see, on a hill not far from the road, the houses of the Sa Torreta estate on our right. It appears to be a sort of segregation from another, much older, and now nonexistent, property: Torre de na Gil, a farmhouse owned by Pere Font and established by Martí Gil in 1465.

We pass the kilometer marker 2 to Maria de la Ma-35. From now on, we must pay attention to the smaller white markers at the 100-meter intervals. The one corresponding to 800 meters at kilometer marker 1 is ours. It is located near the houses of Sa Torreta, to the right of the road, on a hill. [1 hr 45 min] We leave the asphalt to the left and continue along the dirt track of Alquería Blanca. An almost straight stretch that heads clearly towards the town. The Royal Irrigation Canal accompanies us closely. Halfway along the route, the path changes its name to Son Llompardet [2 hr 15 min], due to the proximity of the houses. From there, the asphalt reappears. A few minutes later, we cross the Muro to María de la Salud road (Ma-3521) and continue along the Puritxol path. One last stretch to reach the immense hill of La Vila and end our walk in the same square where we started [2 h 50 min].

@Fita_a_Fita