The current facade of El Casal Solleric faces the Passeig del Born, a location that was actually a dry stream bed until well into the 17th century. This choice of orientation reflects the ambition of its 18th-century owner, who wanted a palace worthy of his position as Marquis of Solleric.
In the 1500s, the site was home to Can Cifre, a long, narrow house where a tailor worked in a ground floor workshop. Over two centuries, the property was absorbed by several families. It eventually passed to Miquel Vallès d'Almadrà i Orlandis, a merchant who exported oil to places as far as Havana and Puerto Rico. He began transforming the old houses into a palace in 1764, employing the architect Gaspar Palmer to create a residence of significant scale.
The building features wrought ironwork on the facade and the interior courtyard that shows a distinct Italian influence. After the Morell family moved out in 1963, the city purchased the building in 1975 to turn it into a cultural space.
Today, it serves as a municipal exhibition center. Visitors can enter through the Passeig del Born or the historic main entrance on Carrer de Sant Gaietà.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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