Can Vivot
This is a private house, passed down through family inheritance from the 15th century to the present day. It is one of the largest and most unique examples of civil architecture in Palma, declared a Historic-Artistic Monument (1973) and a Site of Cultural Interest [BIC] (1995). Its origins date back to the 14th century, from which architectural elements are still preserved on the façade of Can Savellà Street and in the lower floors of much of the house. It is the result of a series of adjoining house integrations over time, and has undergone three major renovations:
1523
Carried out after the looting of the property during the revolt of the Germanies (1521–1523). By then, two important houses on the same block had already been joined: the Reconada d’en Berard and the Alberg d’en Clapés. Both had been inherited from their respective owners by Margalida Barthomeu i Valentí, from one of the wealthiest families in Mallorca, widow in her first marriage of the knight Pere de Berard i de Santjohan, and in her second, of the knight Romeu Desclapés i Fuster. Pere and Margalida had only one son, who inherited his father’s house; but he died young and was succeeded by his mother. Thus, upon marrying, Margalida and Romeu united the two houses. Later, both barely survived the revolt: he took refuge in the Cathedral, she fled disguised as a man and hid in a village on the island. Just after the uprising was quelled, Romeu died of the plague and left his two sons as heirs. They were young boys who also died shortly after. Margalida thus repeated her story: she inherited her husband’s house as heir to her own children. Eventually, she passed it on—renovated—to her grandson Gregori de Villalonga i Desclapés (†1597), son of her only daughter Aina Desclapés i Barthomeu (†1593). From that moment on, the house came to be known as Can Villalonga Gran.
1700
In that year, Don Joan began an ambitious renovation. This is the so-called Obra Nova, the Baroque renovation of the house that is currently open to the public. This renovation has an interesting history: That same year, Philip V of Bourbon was proclaimed King of Spain, and the War of Spanish Succession broke out immediately, as Archduke Charles claimed the throne and conquered Mallorca in 1706. Don Joan had to abruptly halt the works when he was arrested, imprisoned in Barcelona, and sentenced to death for conspiring against the Archduke. After a complicated situation, Don Joan managed to save his life in 1714, returned to Mallorca after it was reclaimed by Philip V, and was granted the title Marquis of Vivot in 1717 in gratitude for his support of the king. For this reason, Can Sureda is officially known as Can Vivot. He died, at an advanced age, in 1752.
1680
Don Gregori de Villalonga i Desclapés carried out some renovations, but it was his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Gregori de Villalonga y Dameto, who left a lasting mark on the house. Don Gregori was a very controversial figure as a leader in the bloody feuds between the noble factions of Canamunt i Canavall (†1641). He did not have the opportunity to contribute further changes, but his widow, as previously mentioned, Doña María Despuig i de Rocabertí, expanded the house in 1676 when she purchased the neighboring property from the Armengol family. In addition to acquiring adjacent properties, Doña María carried out renovations and improvements to the estate, even updating the furnishings so that her descendants would inherit the house in the best possible condition. Her legacy as a vigorous usufructuary lives on in the wing she named Ca la Senyora. In 1663, Doña María had married her only daughter, Doña Magdalena de Villalonga i Despuig, to Don Joan-Miquel Sureda i de Santacília, aged 34, one of the three founders of the Mallorcan privateering squadron and the second-largest landowner on the island. (†1699). Shortly after the wedding, the young bride died giving birth to her only child (1664). He was Don Joan Sureda i de Villalonga, who inherited the house. He grew up, was educated, and was greatly cherished by his grandmother Doña María. From then on, the building was called Can Sureda and became the main residence of this Sureda lineage, one of the noble families that make up Mallorca’s high nobility: the Nine Houses (Nou Cases).
