Son Net - a historical estate in the heart of Mallorca
A 17th century Finca restored to modern luxury
Only seven miles from Palma, Mallorca's capital, Puigpunyent is a small village dominated by an impressive house called Son Net. Legend has it that the land surrounding Son Net once belonged to a nobleman who had excelled as a pirate in the 12th century, when Mallorca was feared throughout the region for its marauding corsairs. There has been a house on this site for a thousand years, but the present building dates back mainly to the 17th century, when it served as a country retreat for an aristocratic family from Palma.
Later a vast olive press was added, and as the property became more intensively farmed, the house itself began to fall into neglect. Over the last century several attempts were made to restore Son Net, but it never regained its original poise and elegance as a grand estate.
David Stein, founder of Stein Hotels and Resorts and Stein Group International, had been searching southern Spain for some time in search of a European house where he could live and work for part of the year. He was immediately taken with Mallorca but less so with the houses he was shown. Then he drove up the palm-lined road leading to Son Net.
"The moment I saw the house through the palms, I was bowled over," Stein says. "The terrible thing was, I couldn't hide my enthusiasm, although I knew from long experience that that was disastrous when you wanted to buy. Then we went into the house, and my face fell dramatically once I realized how much restoration there was to be done. But I decided to go ahead, because all the bones - the situation, the land, and the basic structure - were right and I felt that with time and patience, the necessary improvements could be achieved."
Later a vast olive press was added, and as the property became more intensively farmed, the house itself began to fall into neglect. Over the last century several attempts were made to restore Son Net, but it never regained its original poise and elegance as a grand estate.
David Stein, founder of Stein Hotels and Resorts and Stein Group International, had been searching southern Spain for some time in search of a European house where he could live and work for part of the year. He was immediately taken with Mallorca but less so with the houses he was shown. Then he drove up the palm-lined road leading to Son Net.
"The moment I saw the house through the palms, I was bowled over," Stein says. "The terrible thing was, I couldn't hide my enthusiasm, although I knew from long experience that that was disastrous when you wanted to buy. Then we went into the house, and my face fell dramatically once I realized how much restoration there was to be done. But I decided to go ahead, because all the bones - the situation, the land, and the basic structure - were right and I felt that with time and patience, the necessary improvements could be achieved."
Son Net's Crest
The crest of Son Net dates back hundreds of years to the formation of the estate.
C/ Castillo de Sonnet s/n - 07194 Puigpunyent, Mallorca, España Tel. 34 971 - 147 000 Fax. 34 971 - 147 001 Email. info@sonnet.es
