Felanitx
The municipality of Felanitx is the fourth biggest one in Mallorca. It has a population of over 15000 inhabitants.
It is located on the northeast of Mallorca and has a surface area of 169.57 km², 15 km of which are on the coast.
It is bounded by the municipality of Santanyí to the south, by Campos to the west, by Porreres to the northwest, by Vilafranca de Bonany to the north, by Manacor to the east and by the sea to the southeast.
On the coast there is Porto Colom, of great importance in this area, as well as some beaches. Both places constitute one of the main tourist attractions. Apart from Porto Colom, it is also important to mention Cala Marçal, Sa Nau, Mitjana, Ferrera and the coves of S´Algar, Brafi, Estreta, Salpella...
It seems that the first settlers arrived in Felanitx and its surroundings in 2000 BC.
In this municipality there are two main population centres that date from the Bronze Age: the Santueri Castle and Puig de Sa Mola. In both areas there are natural caves where primitive tribes used to lived and bury their dead. In Felanitx there are also Talaiotic constructions, which probably go back to 1000 BC. There are also remains of soldier settlements from the Roman domination period. Moreover, a Roman garrison was settled in the Santueri Castle for many years.
In the country, apart from big vineyard areas, there are also a great number of country houses that are part of an important architectural heritage. Besides the fincas, it is also important to highlight the small Church of Santa Maria, which dates from the 13th or 14th century, with reminiscences of Romanesque art that are typical of the early-Gothic period.
In Puig de Sant Salvador (509 m high) lies a sanctuary known as Monastery of Sant Salvador, which was built due to the Black Death that devastated Europe in 1384 and killed about 900 people, half the population of the village.
Information of Interest
- El Ball dels Cavallets (“The Bance of the Little Horses”) is a traditional dance that involves a group of children carrying the figure of a horse over their bodies and a lady dressed in white wearing a skirt. The group dances different routines and moves co-ordinately to the rhythm of bagpipes, flutes and tambourines. Such dances appeared in 1603 when the Convent of Sant Agustí was founded. The church maintained this traditional dances until the disentailment took place, when the Town Council started to manage them in 1881.
- Sanctuary of Sant Salvador (14th century)
- Santueri Castle
Porto Colom
- Sant Joan Pelós is a dance performed during the celebrations of Sant Joan´s Day (Saint John´s Day) on June 24. It is performed by a man playing Saint John the Baptist.
LINK OF FELANITX TOWN COUNCIL
http://www.ajfelanitx.net/