Soller

On the 11^th of May 1561, a coalition of Algerian pirates, commanded by Oxtali and Iusuf-Arrais, formed a very strong squad with twenty-two galleons to attack Mallorca.

This army, before arriving in Mallorca, stopped in Ibiza for water supply. This informed the Mallorcans of the fact that the attack would begin in Soller, so the general Captain of Mallorca, Guillem Rocafull, sent a notice to the captain of Soller, Joan Angelats, and to Buñola, to Santa Maria and to Alaro, requesting their help.

The Mallorcans fled to the Campo de la Oca, in the direction of Puerto de Soller. About 1,600 pirates disembarked, without being noticed by the land guards . The invaders were divided into two groups: one group went straight to the port, the other group made a detour and attacked Soller from the north, and obtained a big booty. The people of Soller, who had fled towards the port, found themselves between two fires, and decided to attack the pirate group which was in the harbour. Once they had re-seized the port , they decided to wait for the second group to return laden with the booty, women and children pretending to be slaves.

When the pirates felt in danger, they killed many prisoners, in consequence the Mallorcans chased them up the cliffs. Two facts are noteworthy: the brave women of Can Tamany who liquidated by means of deceit the pirates who raided their homes; and a batch of bandits who did great damage to the Saracen ranks, thanks to which fact they were pardoned by King Felipe II.

These facts are remembered each year at a party in May.

Due to the attack of the pirates, from the sixteenth century on, the Torre Picada and the Castillo del Puerto de Soller were being built. A part of the town was also fortified, although of this fortification works remains only a piece of wall near the parish church.

Infrastructure and Transport

There is a railway which connects Soller to Palma de Mallorca, with a stopover in Son Sardina and Buñola. It is an electric train, whose route and equipment (locomotives, wagons, etc..) have remained unchanged since the early twentieth century. There is also a tramway between Soller and Port de Soller.

To reach the town of Soller a tunnel was built to avoid the hilly route of the old road, and recently another tunnel which connects Soller with the Port of Soller has been built, to make the first line of the port car free.

As its name suggests, the Puerto de Soller is the port of the town.

Soller is a town in the autonomous community of Balearic Islands. It is located at the north-west coast of the island of Mallorca.

It comprises five villages, which are Soller, Puerto de Soller, La Huerta de Soller, Biniaraix and s'Alqueria des Comte. It is bordered by the municipalities of Buñola, Deya, Fornalutx and Escorca.

In Moleta, vestiges of the talayotic era, which corresponds to the period between 5200 BC and 2700 BC, are found. At the Museum of Mallorca, there are three bronze statues of a deity of war of the Balearic prehistory; they were found in the Red Rock (IV-III centuries BC).

Business

Currently its main source of income is tourism, while the cultivation of vegetables, citrus fruits (the oranges of Soller are famous throughout the island) and olives is still maintained.

Museum

Ethnographic Museum, Casa de Cultura (1740), Calle Sa Sea, Soller
Museum of natural sciences and Botanical Garden (1985), Soller, Puerto de Soller Rd

Sea Museum, Oratorio de Santa Caterina d'Alexandria, thirteenth century, Puerto de Soller

The "Firo" is the most important and most famous festival of Soller, it is held in remembrance of the pirate looting which Soller suffered on the 11^th of May 1561. There are 4 staged fights (2 in the port, 1 in La Huerta and 1 in the town square).
Another important cultural event is the international folk festival Sa Mostra, founded by Sollerics Aires in 1980, which reunites groups from around the world during one week of July. This festival lasts seven days, during which the groups perform for the public and also interchanges take place in order to broaden the cultural knowledge of the participants. The festival is framed within the non-profit organization CIOFF.
In August the festival of Sant Bartomeu, dedicated to the patron saint of the village, is celebrated with a spectacular fire which is called “Correfoc”,by which the hell takes over the Earth. The demons of the local group Esclatabutzes invade the Plaza de Constitucion of the village after a welcome show. The festival ends with the "correaigua" where local firefighters and members of the group refresh the participants who want it.