Department of Culture and Heritage
The Advisory Council on Intangible Cultural Heritage met this Monday and initiated the protection procedure prepared by writer Caterina Valriu, which will need to be definitively approved by the plenary of the island’s institution.
The Council of Mallorca has taken a step forward to protect the Rondalles Mallorquines (traditional Mallorcan folktales) by declaring them an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Special Interest. The Advisory Council on Intangible Cultural Heritage, created last October to safeguard the island’s traditions and cultural expressions, convened this Monday to initiate the formal protection process written by author and researcher Caterina Valriu. The file now begins its formal process and must receive final approval in a plenary session of the Council.
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Mallorca Council Protects “Rondalles Mallorquines” and Declares Them Intangible Cultural Heritage of Special Interest
Antònia Roca, Vice President of the Council of Mallorca and Minister of Culture and Heritage, celebrated this milestone, stating: “Today the island institution has taken a decisive step to safeguard one of the most vibrant and cherished expressions of Mallorcan popular culture: the rondalles.”
The Advisory Council includes historian Juan José Soler Martínez; oral literature expert Caterina Valriu Llinàs; Palma’s city chronicler Bartomeu Bestard Cladera; musicologist Eugènia Gallego Cañellas, and fashion artisan and researcher Juana Maria Borràs Riera.
Roca emphasised that “Rondalles are not just stories; they are a shared treasure that forms part of the collective memory of our island. Protecting them is a duty we have as an institution and as a society.” She also highlighted their educational, linguistic, and cultural value: “With this declaration, we aim to promote their transmission, especially among children and young people, and ensure that rondalles remain alive in Mallorcan imagination.”
The report supporting this declaration, authored by Caterina Valriu, underlines the richness, diversity, and historical evolution of the rondalles — from those collected by Antoni M. Alcover to contemporary formats such as mobile apps, theatre performances, illustrations, and games. It also warns of their vulnerability due to social changes, loss of language use, and the common infantilization of the genre.
With this action, the Council of Mallorca continues its work in protecting the island’s intangible heritage and promoting its unique cultural expressions.