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It seems that the importance of Cura (the upper part of the Randa mountain)
began in the XIII century, after James 1st's conquest. The name of this Majorcan
place calls to mind aspects different in themselves, but which in its case are
strongly linked:
LLOC DE LES ERMITES (Place of the Hermitages). In the
XIV and XV centuries, hermit life was in vogue in all of Europe, Majorca took
part in this current or ideal of religious life In the eyes of the Christians of
the those days, the mountain of Randa appeared as the ideal place That is why
the three sanctuaries on the mountain today owe their origin to three erstwhile
hermits.
'Vida Coetànea' tells us that Ramon Llull withdrew to a
mountain about tens years after this conversion and after being there for eight
days had the famous 'illumination'. After wilting his book in the La Real Abbey,
he returned to the mountain and had a hermitage built where he stayed for four
months.
Successive events resulted in the Cura mountain being the
mountain where Ramon Llull withdrew. In the second half of the XIV century
(year 1394), the Bishop of Majorca, Luis de Prades, testified that hermits had
been living in that loneliness for more than thirty years. Still today long,
narrow holes can be seen on the top of the Cura mountain. They are no more than
one or two metres deep. About eleven well defined cells have been counted in the
west part of the Sanctuary, and about ten probable as well as five very doubtful
in the east part.
HERMIT-DIDACTIC ENVIRONMENT: In 1450 Maestro Catany
appears in the Puig de Cura. Three years later the celebrated Catalan llulist,
Pere Joan Llobet, is testified as maestro of the Cura mountain. He lad obtained
a royal privilege from King Alphonse V (January 6th 1449) to be able to carry on
llulian science on Majorca. He fixed his famous chair in the venerable Randa
building and lived there until shortly before his death on May 11th 1446. His
discourses and his fame were so outstanding that people from Spain, Italy and
France went to hear him.
Joan de Tagamanent's will (March 7th 1468)
supports and bequeaths the project to build a monastery of Minor friars and a
hospital for 25 poor on the summit of the Cura mountain The project did not
materialise.
This occurred in 1478 In the privilege of January 18th 1479
Fra Mario obtained, from the General Lieutenant of the Kingdom Among other
things, the faculty of putting the arms of Aragon on the buildings, is testimony
they were under royal protection.
Fra Mario de Passa was succeeded by
another maestro, called Pedro Daguí. FROM CURA TO PALMA. The creation of
Llulian professorships in the town and the erection of the Literary University
of the Kingdom which the property of the Pinós foundation joined, were the
reason why also lessons of llulian sciences in those old classrooms also
terminated.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL: The premises of the anterior Llullian
College or School having been rebuilt, a Grammar School was set up in the old
building, with 50 pounds assigned it in 1510. It depended on the Dean and the
Councillors of the llulian School established in the General Study of the Town.
It would be about that time when fiesta of blessing of the fruit was
started. The first mention we have of fiesta is around 1522.
In 1544
repair work was started on the already then ruined chapel. On May 4th 1553
the Jurymen of the Kingdom agreed on increasing professorships, thus making a
General Study in which Grammar Rhetoric and Greek were taught.
There
were around one hundred pupils in 1566. In those days the foundations of the
magnificent Grammar hall were laid, presided by a painting of Saint Catherine.
There were from 150 to 160 students in 1588.
In 1623 Canon Bartolomé
Llull obtained 40 pounds for work-s of restoration on the chapel and the hall.
After many years of teaching alternating the long and brilliant periods
with moments of need and rehabilitation. The Latin school established at Cura
limped to the end of its existence with the events of 1826.
1826-1862
During this period the place suffered the greatest neglect. lt was left in
charge of a caretaker, under the responsability of the Town Hall of Palma.
1862-1870 Some Tertiaries of Saint Francisco of Paul come to live here.
In 1870 they were violently forced to leave the Sanctuary.
1870-1913
After the episode with those monks, there continued the disagreeable state of
impotence of drawing the place out of the abandon it was sunk in.
1913-
On August 24th of this year the Diocese officially granted the Regular
Franciscan Tertiaries the custody of the Sanctuary. They took possession of the
house on August 25th and two brothers went to live there in the name of their
brothers in religion. These brothers had been founded in Llucmajor in
1893 and since then the brothers today keep up the commitment they took
with the Diocese of Majorca to keep alive the cult of the Virgin of Cura and
make the figure Ramon Llull know among the people.
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