Can Bordils (Can Villalonga-Escalada or Can Sureda-Zanglada)

The façade has an elevation of three floors and a semicircular doorway. To the left, we can see Renaissance windows that date back to the mid-16th century. The lintel of these windows is decorated with the coats-of-arms of the Sureda-Zanglada and Sureda-Moyá families. At the base of the left-hand window jamb we find two figures. One is wearing the knights' helmet, while the second features the head of a young man, symbolizing the alliance between the social classes of knights and merchants.

The courtyard has a square floor and an interesting cloister form, surrounded by arches supported by hexagonal pillars on all four sides. The covered area at the back of the courtyard has a coffered ceiling, a feature also found on the first floor, in this case dating back to the 16th century. The windows opening on to the courtyard display the coat of arms of the Sureda family. The staircase is located on the right hand side of the courtyard.

History

In the year 1282 the house belonged to the Jew Maimó Biniferaix, and was later acquired by Salvador Sureda i Safont in 1450. In 1554, the Sureda-Zanglada family carried out extensive renovation works: the Renaissance windows of the façade date back to this renovation. In 1647, the house passed into the ownership of the Bordils family and was subsequently bought by the Villalonga-Escalada family in 1808. According to the amended electoral roll for 1864, the house was located on building plot number 1 and was owned by Mr. Manuel Villalonga Pérez, "landowner", and valued at 4,478 Mallorcan pounds (Palma Municipal Archive, 1060). New renovation work carried out in the 19th century included the addition of several architectural elements such as balconies on the building's façade, the installation of a Renaissance doorway on the first floor landing, and the addition of the coat of arms of the Villalonga family, which had originally come from a house since demolished. The architect Guillem Fortesa was responsible for the refurbishment of the inner courtyard in 1941.

In 1936, the house was purchased by the Unzué family. Since 1982, Can Bordils has belonged to Palma City Council. During the 1990s major renovation works were undertaken to adapt the building to the task of housing the Palma Municipal Archive.