Historic Mallorcan monastery for sale

The history of this estate is fascinating. Founded in 1239 by the count of Rosselló Nuno Sanç as a monastery, it included the grounds where, in 1276, king Jaume II created Miramar college. This institution was built on a piece of land donated to the monarch by the monastery's abbot as a school of oriental languages in which Ramon Llull spent three years teaching.

However, the current buildings date back to the early 17th century, a time when 13 monks and 13 laymen lived on the property. The monastery was confiscated in 1836 and stayed a private estate ever since. Its last inhabitant was Bruno Morey, a priest and canon of Palma cathedral who inherited Ca l'Abat in a somewhat obscure way. He lived there until 2011, although he had already sold the finca 15 years earlier to Jean-Pierre Ollivier, a French count who allowed him to stay.

This transaction was not without its controversies as Morey swore that Ollivier had promised him to establish a cultural centre in Ca l'Abat. This change never happened and the canon even brought the aristocrat to court. His claims were never answered, and he died in July this year at 101 years of age.

Now the estate, with wonderful views of the sea, is up for sale for 4.8 million euros. Inside you can find beautiful stone buildings, a defence tower, an old oil mill, and even a chapel dedicated to the Mare de Deu de la Font and Sant Bernat. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Deia locals travelled on foot to this same chapel on August 20th (Saint Bernard's day), a pilgrimage that was rewarded by the monks with a gift of olives.

Check out the online listing at Kensington International's website.