Carro mallorquí (Mallorcan cart)

What is

The two-wheeled vehicle and animal draft of rural Mallorca. There were "thousands" until the 1960s (Nicolau Cañellas). The thesis Carruatges a Balears (UIB, 2024) catalogs 390 carriages on the Islands.

How is

Documented types:

• Parell cart: highly reinforced; Instead of two rods, it has a perxa to which two animals are yoked (DCVB, Mall.). Documented in Mallorca since the 14th century (Cañellas).
• Full-wheeled cart: parell cart with disc wheels, without spokes (bréndoles); used in Mallorca until the middle of the 19th century. XIX (DCVB).
• Catalan cart: since the 19th century. XVIII, for long distance; three animals, up to a ton, with awning.
• Barrerons cart: Balearic adaptation of the Catalan cart; 1.60-1.80 m long box in Mallorca.
• Torn cart: without floor, with chains to carry barrels and a winch to load them (or., occ., bal.).
• Carretó: smaller, for a small animal. Molles (spring) cart for 2-4 people, widely used in the Balearic Islands. Carretó bord: very thick springs and mat floor (Mall.).
• Missa cart (2 wheels) and galereta (4 wheels): for passengers.

How is fa

• In Mallorca the cars were made by fusters (carpenters); in Menorca, the araders (Cañellas). The Government's registry of artisans has the category master of cars.
• Since the s. XIX: prefabricated metal parts imported from the Peninsula or England.
• Wood, iron wheels from the ferrer. See Mallorcan fusteria , ferro forjat .
• Animal garnishes: collar, bast and aubard .

Com s'usa

• Field load (straw, firewood, harvest), market, trip to Palma.
• The train did not replace it: they complemented each other (Andratx-Palma without a track).
• Passengers: Mass cart on Sundays.

Vocabulary

• carro de parell: two-animal cart with perxa (Mall.).
• perxa: central lance of the parell chariot.
• braços: lateral rods for an animal.
• bréndoles: spokes of the wheel.
• roda plena: solid disc wheel.
• carro de barrerons: Balearic cargo cart.
• carretó de molles: spring cart for people.
• galereta: four-wheeled passenger car.
• «Carros de rei, llebres agafen»: power and money achieve everything (Mall., Men.).
• «Els carros no coneixen l'amo»: be careful that the cart does not trap whoever is driving it (Manacor).

History

• 14th century: parell carts documented in Mallorca (Cañellas).
• 18th century: the Catalan car arrives.
• Mid s. XIX: the full wheel carriage (DCVB) disappears.
• 19th century: maximum expansion of the number and types of carriages.
• 1920-1925: motorized public transport replaces horse-drawn carriages.
• Civil War and World War II: the lack of fuel and tires lengthens their life.
• 1960s: the pagesos are the last users; tractor and passenger cars remove them.
• 2024: doctoral thesis by Nicolau Cañellas, Carruatges a Balears (UIB), with testimonies from about 80 people.

On veure'n

• Museum of Mallorca, ethnological section (Wall) : collection of carriages.
• Porches and portasses of properties; beneïdes of Sant Antoni (to verify).

Why is it design

• Typology according to the load: barrels, straw, people; each car, a solution.
• Standard dimension (1.60-1.80 m) adjusted to paths and portals.
• Repairable by local trades: fuster and ferrer.

For the project

• Contact Nicolau Cañellas (UIB) for the atlas: typologies and drawings.
• Piece: technical drawing of a parell cart and a sweeper cart; “390 cars” exhibition.

Sources

• ultimahora.es/noticias/local/2024/04/08/2138313/historia-baleares-etnografia-que
• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=carro
• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=carret%F3

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

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