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Vernacular architecture in Mallorca

Camins empedrats (cobbled and bridle paths)

At a glance

Mountain roads built of stone for people and pack animals. They linked towns, farms, sanctuaries and workplaces (coal, snow, lime). Base of GR 221 .

Architecture and engineering
Vernacular architecture in Mallorca
Carrer de Fornalutx — Fornalutx , Carrer Església
Carrer de Fornalutx — Fornalutx , Carrer Església — Malopez 21, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

What is

Mountain roads built of stone for people and pack animals. They linked towns, farms, sanctuaries and workplaces (coal, snow, lime). Base of GR 221 .

##Com works

  • Slope for the mule: the route rises in zigzags to maintain a slope that a loaded animal can go up and down.
  • Paving: edged stones nailed into the ground; They withstand footsteps and rain.
  • Water out of the way: margins on the sides and drains so that the rain does not turn it into a torrent (detail to be verified).
  • Material from the site and without mortar, like all dry stone .

Elements and vocabulary

  • camí empedrat, camí de ferradura, voltes, escalons, marge, pas, coll
  • camí de nevaters: those of Massanella are a work of popular engineering (Consorci)

History

  • Five nevater roads protected with the cases de neu de Massanella (BOE 2001): Camí de Lluc a la Mola de Son Macip (voltes d'en Galileu), Camí de ses Cases de Neu, Camí des Puig de Massanella, Camí des Comellar des Prat and Camí de la casa de neu d'en Galileu al Coll des Telègraf.
  • The Consell restores the network as support for the Pedra Route in Sec.

On veure'n

  • Barranc de Biniaraix (Sóller): BIC (monument).
  • Camí vell de Lluc from Caimari.
  • Voltes d'en Galileu (Massanella).

Stat

In good condition where the Consell has intervened. Risk: erosion due to massive use and bicycles/motorcycles (to verify regulations).

Why is it design

Engineering at the scale of the step: the path is drawn with the body of the animal and that of the person. Lesson: Just the right slope is a design decision. It is proximity design .

Avui architecture

No reinterpretation identified.

For the project

  • Atlas: slope profile of the voltes d'en Galileu.
  • Road restoration workshop with margins.

Frequently asked questions

What is Camins empedrats (cobbled and bridle paths)?

Mountain roads built of stone for people and pack animals. They linked towns, farms, sanctuaries and workplaces (coal, snow, lime). Base of GR 221 .

Sources

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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