For a few months, Frédéric Chopin, Polish virtuoso pianist, was one of the most important guests, who in the nineteenth century, had Mallorca. He was diagnosed a severe tuberculosis and his doctor recommended a quiet place, where he could recover.
From late 1838 until February 1839, the romantic author and his wife, George Sand and their children lived in a cell of La Cartuja de Valldemossa, a former royal palace of the Fifteen century, which was the residence of King Sancho. The building still retains the charm and still hosts prestigious guests belongings.
Surely, walls have witnessed a lot about the celebrated pianist, while he composed most of his twenty-four Preludes op. 28. Unfortunately time is not accompanied them, and that winter was cold and rainy. Certanly, the rain echoes can be found subtly hidden between the notes of these preludes, as was reflected in the pages of the novel written by his wife, “A Winter in Mallorca”.
The constant humidity worsened their condition. While awaiting the arrival of a French Pleyel piano, Sand solicitous attending him in the cell, which previously has belonged to a local priest.
On 13th of February, the family sailed back to Barcelona, where Chopin spent a week recovering in the care of medical French warship “Meleager”. Then relocated to Marseilles. The Spanish trip concluded for the famous pianist.
If you go to Palma, from Deia, beautiful mountain village, or from Andraitx, enjoying wonderful views of the sea and olive groves and almond trees, you can reach and visit the Royal Valldemossa Cartuja, which still houses some of the possessions which belonged this unique couple of artists. At the end of a road where there is endless beauty of the Tramuntana mountains and the blue Mediterranean Sea, we find the Port of Valldemossa, a fisherman’s paradise of extraordinary beauty. Enjoy exquisite cuisine as natural in one of the restaurants of the port, it is something no one should miss.
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