Have you ever seen a stone arch in a country or village house?Well, this phenomenon is very common in Mallorca.

In the past, many houses were divided according to the use that each room should have, to leave rooms for shared use or daytime closer to the entrance, and those for night or personal use behind.

Each area of the house is separated from arches by a door , leaving the room entrance free and creating a more open space. This separation is very characteristic of the homes of well-to-do families and they have taken advantage of this factor to express the family’s richness.

Originally, the bow was made of wood because it was a very affordable material for most. But later, for aesthetic reasons, the idea was transformed into a wooden arch with stone. As we all know, stone was not cheap in those days, but it became a luxury material.

Wealthy families saw this opportunity as a way to show the guests who brought the wealth of the family home and how well positioned they were.

But over time, this sign language has affected the poorest people. They could not afford to put a stone in the whole arch and used only a stone in the lower half, implying that they had money but not too much. While it reached the middle class, this mode caught up with the poorest, who could only afford to put no more or less than two or three stones in the main arc.
Today, this practice is done out of habit and not out of money, as stone has become affordable at all costs.

Its curious the way a material can reflect the richness of a family in an architectural maner. Nowadays this material is gold, diamond or argent.

Bibliography:

– https://catala.habitaclia.com/comprar-casa-a-consell-i500003110982.htm
– https://www.artifexbalear.org/arco4.htm
– https://www.kyero.com/ca/soller-cases-en-ciutat-per-vendre-0l3949g3