Felanitx () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

of the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...

, located in the southeast of

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...

, 48 kilometres (30 miles) from the capital

Palma de Mallorca Palma (, ; ), also known as Palma de Mallorca (officially between 1983 and 1988, 2006–2008, and 2012–2016), is the capital and largest city of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is ...

. The town, dating back to the 13th century, lies near the medieval Sant Salvador Monastery with its Gothic architecture.

Culture

The St. Agustí convent was founded by

Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

in the 17th century. In 1881 the Felanitx town council took over the church and celebrates that event every year. It's celebrated by performing Els Cavallets, a dance in which six ''Cavallets'' between 10 and 14 years of age, perform dances. The ''Cavallets'' wear a cardboard horse around their middles, dressed in a red shirt and a green hat. They dance around ''La Dama'', a girl in a green dress with a red hat. There are nine different dances: ''es rollet, ses tres potadetes, s'envestida, es canvis, ses cadenilles, es passeig, es pas nou,'' ''esses velles'' and ''esses noves.'' The dances are accompanied by music played on the Xeremia, the

Flabiol The flabiol () is a Catalan woodwind musical instrument of the family known as '' fipple flutes''. It is one of the 12 instruments of the cobla. The flabiol measures about 25 centimeters in length and has five or six holes on its front face a ...

and the tambourine. They perform on the days of Santa Margalida and Sant Agustí.

Economy

Felanitx is also known for its wine and particularly its

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...

, with over 60 distilleries in the local area recorded in 174

It is a center of production of earthenware watercoolers and other pottery since at least the 3rd century BC. A weekly market takes place in Felanitx every Sunday morning.

People

Felanitx is the birthplace of

Miquel Barceló Miquel Barceló Artigues (born 1957) is a Spanish painter. Career Barceló was born at Felanitx, Mallorca. After having studied at the Arts and Crafts School of Palma de Mallorca, Palma for two years, he enrolled at the Fine Arts School ...

, a contemporary painter. Other famous people from Felanitx include: *

Guillem Sagrera Guillem Sagrera (Felanitx, Mallorca ca. 1380–Naples, 1456) was a Spaniards, Spanish Gothic sculpture, Gothic sculptor and architect from Majorca. A native of Felanitx, in Mallorca, in the early 15th century he was director of the works of the C ...

(1380–1456), Gothic architect and sculptor *

Miquel Bauçà Miquel Bauçà Rosselló (; 1940–2004) was a Mallorcan poet and writer in the Catalan language. His poems have appeared in most contemporary Catalan poetry anthologies. He was recognized as a talented poet from a young age with ''Una bella hist� ...

(1940–2004), writer *

Guillermo Timoner Guillermo Timoner Obrador (24 March 1926 – 17 August 2023) was a Spanish cyclist. With six gold and two silver medals won in the UCI Motor-paced World Championships between 1955 and 1965 he is one of the most successful motor-paced racers of ...

(1926–2023), world champion cyclist *

Mariona Caldentey Maria Francesca "Mariona" Caldentey Oliver (; born 19 March 1996), also known mononymously as Mariona, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the Spain national team. Prior to her move to Arsen ...

(born 1996) world champion soccer player

Gallery

File:Felanitx (Castell de Santueri) 01 ies.jpg, View from Castle of Santueri in Felanitx File:Felanitx Portocolom 03 ies.jpg, Portocolom, Felanitx File:Portocolom-2.JPG, Beach in Portocolom, Felanitx

References

External links

* {{authority control Populated places in Mallorca