The Consell de Mallorca has published ‘La Serra de Tramuntana, antes y después’ (The Serra de Tramuntana, before and after), a rephotography or comparative photography project that showcases the evolution of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The initiative includes 35 images that reflect the human impact on the natural and cultural heritage over time.

Thanks to this project, it is possible to observe how landscapes and heritage elements such as the Cartoixa de Valldemossa, the Castle of Alaró, Deià, the snow houses, defence towers, and various estates have changed or remained intact.

Caló de s’Estaca, Valldemossa. 1884-2021.

The project is carried out in collaboration with “Die Balearen, The Balearic Islands Before and After”, an educational initiative led by content designer Lluc Julià Fàbregues, who has compared over a hundred locations across the archipelago since 2002.

‘La Serra de Tramuntana, antes y después’: a work of precision

The images, available on the Serra de Tramuntana Consortium website (www.serradetramuntana.net/refotografia), allow users to contrast the current landscape with historical illustrations from the book Die Balearen in Wort und Bild Geschildert by Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria (1847-1915). This work, considered the most significant on 19th-century Balearic customs, faithfully depicted life in Mallorca, particularly in the Serra de Tramuntana.

To achieve an accurate comparison, Lluc Julià has located the same vantage points and perspectives from which the original illustrations were made, carefully considering factors such as lighting and seasonality.

According to Antoni Solivellas, Director of the Serra de Tramuntana, this project demonstrates that “despite the inevitable changes brought by time, some landscapes and heritage elements have been preserved, which means we have learned to appreciate and protect them; however, others prompt us to reflect on our impact on the Serra.”

Meanwhile, Lluc Julià highlights that comparative photography is a valuable tool both for highlighting unfortunate changes in the landscape and for celebrating those we have successfully preserved.

Inventory of ethnological heritage

The Consell de Mallorca has also announced the creation of an inventory of all ethnological elements within the official boundaries of the Serra de Tramuntana World Heritage Site. By 2025, records of springs, boatyards, and estates will be completed, while in the coming years, other elements such as snow houses, towers, Talayotic structures, washhouses, and cisterns will be catalogued.

This initiative responds to a request from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), affiliated with UNESCO, which in 2019 called for the documentation of these assets. Until now, only municipal records existed without a common standard, so this inventory will enable an updated assessment of the heritage’s condition and prioritisation of its conservation.

Additionally, the Consell de Mallorca will conduct an inventory of ancient olive trees in the Serra de Tramuntana, with a training session scheduled before summer to explain how to estimate their age.