A book, an inscription and a connection to Petra
Having just agreed the sale of a frontline property in Mallorca to American buyers, I was reminded of a visit this summer to a great friend of ours in Petra. He showed me a book from his personal library, apparently once owned by Junípero Serra.
Printed in Barcelona in 1713, it dates from the very year Serra was born in Petra. The Franciscan friar would later travel to Mexico and California, establishing a connection between Mallorca and America that endures today.
Inside, written in ink, is:
Del uso de Fr Junipero Sierra Religioso Menor. 1780
There’s also an old catalogue card identifying the book as containing Serra’s autograph. And, rather brilliantly, there are scribbles and little doodles too.
Whether the inscription is genuinely Junípero’s may remain a mystery. My friend tells me the book was acquired among others belonging to Serra’s religious order. It is a fascinating curiosity, and I couldn’t help wondering where it had travelled and whose hands it had passed through.
What a thought, though. A book printed in the year Serra was born, bearing an inscription dated 67 years later, now sitting in a private library in his home village more than three centuries after publication.
I felt incredibly privileged to hold this book, just as I feel privileged to live and work in Mallorca and call the island home. I hope its rich history and landscape will be valued and protected for generations to come.
Historical background: Casa de S.M. el Rey, visit to Serra’s family home and museum in Petra. Francisco Palóu’s contemporary biography. The book’s provenance and attribution are reported from the owner’s account and have not been independently authenticated.