What it is and technique
Tanning of skins: the bleacher and the assaonador converted the raw skin into leather (adoberia) for shoemakers, basters, sellers and bookbinders. In Palma it was one of the most numerous jobs and gave identity to an entire neighborhood: Calatrava.
Process step by step
1. Remulla: put the skin in water.
2. Peel with lime (pelambre).
3. Deflesh on the bench.
4. Marinate in vats with tanning agents (vegetables or others; check in Mallorca).
5. Assaonar: oil and finish the skin.
Forms and objects
- Leather for sabater eines , garniments , avarques .
- Rajoletes de sant Cristòfol in the houses of Calatrava.
- Escut del col·legi: two lions holding a chalice.
Vocabulary
- blanquer: tanner (“white” skins).
- assaonador: who marinates and finishes the skin.
- adober / adoberia: tanner; tannery.
- pellaire: one who buys, sells or works furs.
- calatraví: in the 20th century, the name of the whitewasher in Palma, after the neighborhood.
Geography
- Palma, la Calatrava: all the blanchers workshops; room next to the church of Santa Fe, in front of the Porta del Camp. The water of the Riera and the proximity to the wall explain the place (to verify).
Short story
- 15th century: documented col·legi.
- 1420: first known ordinations.
- Home s. XVI: patron Saint Cristòfol, in Santa Fe (previously, the mystery of Santa Fe).
- 20th century: "calatraví" replaces the name of the profession; the adoberies close.
State
Disappeared in Palma. Registry of artisans (consultation 10/13/2026): 2 registrations of pells marinator in Mallorca. Inca concentrates the leather industry today ( calçat d'Inca ).
Why is it design
- Neighborhood = job: Calatrava is a city designed by tannery.
- Domestic iconography: the rajoletes of Sant Cristòfol as a mark of the guild on the facades.
- Value chain: without bleachers there are no shoemakers, basters or bookbinders.
For the project
- Photographic inventory of rajoletes from Sant Cristòfol in Calatrava.
- “La Calatrava de los Blanchers” route with the neighborhood association.
Frequently asked questions
What is Blanquers and assaonadors (tanners)?
Tanning of skins: the bleacher and the assaonador converted the raw skin into leather (adoberia) for shoemakers, basters, sellers and bookbinders. In Palma…
Who practises Blanquers and assaonadors (tanners) in Mallorca today?
The Balearic Islands Crafts Register lists 5 artisans linked to this craft, in Mancor De La Vall, Palma, Inca.
What are the traditional words for Blanquers and assaonadors (tanners)?
Some words: adober / adoberia, assaonador, blanquer, calatraví, pellaire.
Sources
- ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanquer
- ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoberia
- dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=assaonador
- dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=pellaire
- caib.es/siciefront/artesania/index.jsp?idioma=ct
Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.