Son Torrella
Santa Maria, Mallorca
Son Torrella is one of Mallorca’s most historic, privately owned properties, situated in its own 50 acre estate in the valley of Coanegra, just outside the village of Santa Maria, 30 minutes from Palma International Airport.
A family home and working farm combined, Son Torrella has been owned by an English family – the Hillgarths – since 1932, although the history of the estate can be traced back to medieval times.
The superb façade of the property with its eight balconies and central tower, dominates the countryside for miles around and behind which is a four-sided courtyard, (unique in Majorca) built in the form of a cloister. Unsurprisingly, at one point in its history, Son Torrella once housed a monastic order whose legacy of peace and tranquillity can still be felt today.
Approached through rows of lemon, orange and olive trees, the house can be seen from 2 miles away. Reaching the short drive which opens into a spacious courtyard, an imposing cypress tree stands guard by the huge sixteenth century wooden doors. Through the outer doors, the eye is drawn to the Florentine fountain at the centre of a cobbled galleried courtyard, decorated with terracotta pots of colourful pelargoniums