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ELECTRICITY IN ALARÓ
A natural landscape is inseparable from the people who live in and form a part of it. Indeed there is no such thing as a landscape without a human eye to observe and appraise it, although man's presence inevitably alters it. Three or four thousand years ago, landscapes remained unchanging, but we no longer live in caves. From the moment that man settled in what are now the Serra de Tramuntana's municipalities, everything started to undergo an irreversible process of change: the natural setting was modified and we must accept this fact. Man's contributions over the course of history also form part of the Serra de Tramuntana's heritage. We live in the 21st century and there is no possibility of a Serra de Tramuntana without a human presence; that is, without its inhabitants and its visitors. Perhaps we should not regret this, but instead accept the human mark on the landscape as a necessary, inherent part of it and, if anything, try to adopt a more sustainable approach.
One key moment in the history of the Serra de Tramuntana was the arrival of industrialization to some of its municipalities in the early 20th century. Perhaps precisely because these mountainous spots were hard to reach, the mark that the inhabitants of some of these towns and villages made was stronger than elsewhere on the island. Two places that stand out particularly in this process of industrialization were Sóller and Alaró. In both cases, electricity was introduced and a railway line built at almost the same time. A subsequent article will look at the well-known case of Sóller. Today, however, we will focus on the much lesser known story of Alaró.
The power station tower, located in the village © Photo: Gabriel Lacomba
One key moment in the Serra de Tramuntana's history was the arrival of industrialization to some of its municipalities in the early 20th century
Alaró was the first municipality in Mallorca to have an urban electricity network
Alaró was the first municipality in Mallorca to have an urban electricity network, even before Palma. Electricity was brought to Alaró thanks to two villagers, brothers Gaspar and Josep Perelló Pol, who had a soap and oil business. Gaspar, who had travelled to Barcelona on business, was dazzled by the potential offered by the big city's electrification and he wanted Alaró to benefit from what he had seen there. His dream came true, thanks to capital that he himself invested and to the support of a handful of people from Alaró, who were convinced of the advantages that electricity represented. Overcoming the reticence of many villagers, the Perelló brothers brought experts from Catalonia and built a power station and electricity supply network that was inaugurated on August 15th 1901, coinciding with local festivities in the village. A power station tower still remains. It was restored in 2001 to mark the centenary of the inauguration.
The power station was fuelled by coal from the village's lignite mines, in front of which a railway line ran; another big landmark in Alaró's industrialization. The Palma to Inca train line, inaugurated in 1875, did not stop at Alaró. The nearest station was Consell. Five years later, two villagers from Alaró, Jaume Comes Frau and Josep Sureda Villalonga, were awarded a concession for a railway line from Alaró to the station at Consell, allowing shoes to be transported (one of the village's main industries, together with its coal mines). Alaró came to have thirty shoe factories, only one of which still remains.
Initially, due to a lack of capital, Alaró railway could not afford a steam engine. The journey to Alaró was an uphill one and the train was pulled by mules. On the way back to Consell, however, the train took advantage of a 50-metre difference in level and the force of gravity. It was not until 1922 that the railway company managed to purchase two benzene-operated engines, christened with the unusual names of Sant Cabrit and Sant Bassa in memory of the two legendary medieval figures who defended Alaró Castle from King Alfonso of Aragón's troops.
Electricity, its own railway line, coal mines, shoe factories...all of them were a source of prosperity, created at the initiative of private individuals who are barely remembered today, since Alaró, like so many other villages in the El Raiguer area, has become a kind of commuter town for people working in Palma or Inca.