The Hidden House

Rafal is a name of Arabic origin that was given to the rural estates whose agricultural lands were directly worked by their owners. It was formerly known as “The Hidden House”, as it could not be seen until one was already very close to it. This house appears on the oldest maps of Menorca.

It was one of the great noble estates of the island of Menorca, close to Ciutadella and the coast. From the original large property, an area of around 60,000 m² remains, made up of up to eleven enclosed plots of land, or “tancas”. Within them stands the main building, or “casat”, along with several auxiliary constructions originally intended for agricultural use. These include an inexhaustible water well, a traditional bread oven, a large cistern, and two old cowsheds of 250 m², which could be converted into additional homes or auxiliary facilities.

The main house dates back to the 18th century, a time when the Mediterranean was freed from the threat of piracy and when the finest buildings on the island were constructed. It is a building of 425 m², or rather a complex of adjoining structures added over time, giving it the typical appearance of the region.

The construction is based on marés stone, the marine limestone so characteristic of the Balearic Islands, which in this case was extracted from a quarry located on the property itself. An unparalleled artisanal work carried out by the island’s stonemasons.

This house is a magnificent example of the most traditional marés architecture, featuring the great vault that covers the “porxada” or entrance porch, one of the classic elements of Balearic architecture. It also includes groin vault ceilings throughout all the ground-floor rooms, which were carefully restored a few years ago.

Part of the stone façade has been left exposed, along with tile-formed gutters, widely used at the time to channel as much rainwater as possible into the cisterns.

On the ground floor, the house offers four large vaulted areas. Three of them comprise the living room, sitting room, and dining room, while the fourth is a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. There is also a service room in the former kitchen under a barrel vault, as well as a large main kitchen.

The staircase that begins in the porxada leads to the first floor, arriving at a covered gallery that gives access to a layout including a spacious sitting room, four bedrooms (one with access to a terrace), and three full bathrooms.

The house has all modern services and is decorated with extraordinary taste, using traditional and natural materials, along with furniture and elements acquired locally, most of which would remain in the house.[IW]