Visit to the hamlet of Biniagual from Binissalem
What is it?
The hamlet of Biniagual has its origin in the Arabic era, when it was a small farmstead mainly used for agriculture. After the conquest of Jaume I, it was given to the Jonqueres de Catalunya monastery which introduced the cultivation of olives, vines and cereal crops.
During the 16th and 17th Centuries, the hamlet (which had six houses) became uninhabited due to an epidemic of the plague. The inhabitants who returned began to devote themselves to livestock, specifically, sheep and pig husbandry. They also began to work the vineyards and olive groves. With regard to the vines, it is important to point out that these were infected by phylloxera at the beginning of the 20th Century, which caused a change to the way the land was cultivated. After this, the use changed to almonds, figs, sheep and pigs. The fact that the activity was basically unprofitable caused depopulation of the hamlet, and by the middle of the 20th Century it was still in ruins.
In the middle of the 1960's, the hamlet became private property and was rebuilt and a project for revitalising agricultural activities in its environs was also put in place. The vineyard currently covers around thirty-four hectares.
Visit
Town Hall:
C/ Concepció, 7. 07350 Binissalem (Mallorca)
Telephone: +34 971 886 558
E-mail: ajuntament@ajbinissalem.net
Web site: http://www.ajbinissalem.net/
Available public transport
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Public Transport
Routes serving this route Outward
Routes serving this route Return
Detailed description
Binissalem Station
Binissalem station is striking because it is a two-storey passenger building. During its early years there were many proposals to build industrial loaders, although hardly any were built.
The station building is in line with the usual visual features for railways. The buildings were built following a model forecasting station use. They have huge personality, unlike popular architecture in the same years. One of their most characteristic features are flat, red Roman roofs. They are iconic buildings through which the railway company wished to demonstrate their financial standing to the locals of the town.
On the Palma-Inca line, the buildings were stone-built with sandstone surrounds around the doors, windows and on the corners. The decorative elements are Greek-inspired and made from sandstone, mainly on the doors, windows and overhangs.
In general, stations were built outside the town centre to avoid being on urban land and to reduce expropriation costs.
Within the set of station buildings it is possible to make out the passenger buildings, toilets, garages, water cisterns, turning platforms and a set of huts for various uses.
Rural route to the hamlet
Just in front of the Binissalem station building, take Carrer Estació. At the first crossroads turn right down Carrer Fang and at the next cross turn left into Carrer General Morante. Then continue straight on by the Passeig Born, the Plaça de l'Església, Carrer Concepció and Carrer Bonaire up to the old Inca road (Carrer Conquistador). We can see that slightly to the left there is a crossroads with traffic lights where we cross the main road and follow the signs to Biniagual. We go round a path outside the village which, after going underneath the Inca motorway, takes us to the centre of Biniagual which is around five kilometres away.
Biniagual
This is a hamlet with a long history. In the Muslim era Biniagual was a farmstead devoted to horticulture. After the re-conquest and later distribution of lands, the Islamic system was substituted by olives, vines and cereals. Biniagual is at the crossroads of the old roads to Muro and from Binissalem to Sencelles. Many people lodged in this hamlet on their travels around the island. This fact meant that in the 19th Century a Civil Guard barracks was installed here, and the building still exists today. The vines were a source of riches during the19th Century but the philloxera plague killed the business. This event marked the beginning of the Biniagual's decline and by the middle of the 20th Century it was practically in ruins. In 1968 the current owner bought the hamlet, rejuvenated cultivation and restored the village houses. At the moment, it once again has more than thirty-four hectares of vineyards.