“Plaza Cort” town hall square in Palma

Anyone who strolls attentively through Palma’s old town can learn countless stories, anecdotes about Mallorcan families who have lived for generations in Palma de Mallorca’s old town properties, which today seem as if they have been enchanted, and some of which still shape life in the historic core of the island’s capital. Not every visitor is granted the opportunity to look behind the scenes or at least into the magnificent patios of the old town houses, unless perhaps you are looking for a home in one of these idyllic alleyways. However, many sights are open to the public, the town hall square “Plaza Cort”, for example, not far from the Minkner & Partner office in Palma. Besides the stately “Ayuntamiento” building itself, which incidentally houses a beautiful public library, an ancient contemporary takes centre stage here: a gnarled olive tree.

S`Olivera – photo motif no.1 on the town hall square

There is probably no other tree on Mallorca that is captured on camera as often as the “S’Olivera”. The ancient olive tree forms the green centre in the middle of the square in front of Palma’s town hall. The old tree is estimated to be six centuries old. The fact that the tree is growing in the town hall square is thanks to the donation of the Mallorcan hotelier and bus entrepreneur Jaime Batle. In 1989, he organised the removal of the tree, which originally grew on a finca near Pollença. Olive trees can be transplanted even when they are very old. The aim of the initiative at the time was to give the town hall square a greenery that was as symbolic as it was typical of the island.

The olive tree is a good six metres high; the trunk is said to have a circumference of seven metres. Since 2017, the rarity has been protected from too intrusive admirers with a grille, but photography is of course allowed. The Minkner & Partner tip on a tour of the square: Follow Calle Colon and then take the third right into Carrer del Set Cantons. Here you will find Café Bagel, where the lovely South African boys Andrew and Stephan bake delicious bagels – what else? Mondays to Fridays only, from 10.30 am to 4 pm.