Ca´n Weyler

Description

Both the building's exterior and the interior maintain the distribution of a traditional city house. The building has three floors. The ground floor has numerous openings and, to the right side of the portal, we can find a headstone in memory of General Weyler; on the first floor, three windows with twin arched lights separated by a column, while on the upper floor, we find four windows built in the same style. The interior's main outstanding characteristic is a central inner courtyard with a lowered arch to the left and a further arch to the right, which features Jesus' anagram on its capitals. After walking through an area covered by a wooden panelled ceiling, we find the staircase to the right which, surrounded by a lowered arch, features the coat of arms of the Belloto family. On the upper floor, we find a remarkable room decorated with several diaphragm, medieval and perpendicular arches at the façade.

Historical Reference

The house dates back to the first half of the XIVth century. The first important reform was made during the XVIIth century, within the scope of which the inner courtyard was subject to a refurbishment and was transferred near the main staircase, to the right side of the house. Towards the middle of the XVIIIth century, a baroque-style bed chamber was built on the first floor. This chamber was divided into two areas.

The façade and the entrance door were subject to modifications during the XIXth century, whereby two balconies were added and one of the semi-circular arches was walled to add a window. The house was owned by the Despuig family until the beginning of the XVIIth century, time at which it became the ownership of the Italian merchant family Belloto.

The house was owned by Joan Ballester in the year 1730. After his death, the house became the ownership of the Jesuites. Between the years 1769 and 1817, it was owned by the Teatines. In 1817 the house was sold to Joan Alorda Bestard, who divided the house into three parts, that were reunited between the years 1866 and 1891 by Fernando Weyler Laviña and his son Valerià Weyler Nicolau. According to the "Amended electoral list" of the year 1864, the house was located on island number 159 and was owned by Mr. Fernando Weyler "Inspector of Military Health" (AMP, 1060). Valerià Weyler sold the manor in the year 1911 to the "Casa Bressol del Nin Jesús", that occupied the house until the last decade the 1970's.

References:

- Murray-Pascual, 1999, p. 163-166

- GEM XVIII, 233

- Lucena et al: Palma: Guia d´, arquitectura (Palma: Architectural guide), 49