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| DRY-STONE WALLING IN MALLORCA |
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| Paths |
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To our knowledge, dry-stone paths date back to the 13th century. They were essential to assist
the transport of goods and people between towns and estates, to access towers, sanctuaries and chapels or to reach
farming and grazing fields, forests, fishing piers, etc. There is also the exceptional cases of the Way of l’Arxiduc and of the path
of Foment del Turisme de Mallorca (promotion of tourism in Mallorca), which were built to rejoice in the landscape.
Traditionally there has been a clear distinction between passes, footpaths, bridle paths and cart tracks.
Passes were used by fishermen, hunters or smugglers and are very difficult access ways. From a building point of view,
though, they are quite simple, consisting only of a small retaining wall or a few stones to walk the steepest section.
Footpaths are laid out solely by the more or less continuous use made by people and cattle. The work put into them is
minimal, although they sometimes include a retaining wall or a small section of coarse paving.
The most elaborate paths are bridle paths, which were used constantly by people and cattle, and cart tracks which are wider.
The simpler paths were not dry-stoned paved due to the lack of stone, the light traffic or the smooth gradient. If such were the
cases, the paths were levelled either with soil or stones and walls were only built in one side to save as much work as possible.
The dry-stone paving, the ratlletes, the escopidors and the cadena are elements of the most elaborate bridle
paths and cart tracks. Bridges, dry-stone fords and stepping stones were built to cross streams.
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