Can Montenegro

Monuments | Palma de Mallorca

A winding street, typically medieval, with modern buildings, nearly all of which are from the 19th century. However, one can still see some Gothic remains, such as the quadrangular window of number 1. The house of the Montenegros, or Can Despuig stands out; dating from the 15th century, it was the residence of Ramon Despuig, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John of Malta. The façade is divided into three storeys as per tradition. The ground floor has two pointed arch voussoired doorways. Between the doors the large coat of arms of the Despuig family stands out, with a stone plaque commemorating the appointment of Ramon Despuig as Grand Master of the Order of Saint John of Malta in the year 1737. The main floor has five stone balconies with an iron railing. The vestibule or entrance is covered by wooden coffering. Another notable member of the Despuig family was Cardinal Antoni Despuig Dameto (1745-1813), a learned man and great benefactor of the arts. Precisely in the times of the cardinal, and up until the beginning of the 20th century, the house contained one of the most important art collections on Mallorca. In the neighbouring house of Can Cabrer, number 4, one can see some small mullioned windows with two openings in the attic floor. Following the road towards the street called Sant Joan, in the house on the corner with Apuntadors one can see a gallery with ogee panels and remains of a mullioned window with two openings on the main floor. Around halfway along Montenegro, if we turn off into the street called l’Estanc a few metres down on the left, we can see mullioned windows in the patio of house number 4.