VISIT CA N’ALLUNY – THE HOME OF ROBERT GRAVES

APR 10th, 2023

The beautiful village of Deià attracted creative people long before mass tourism came to Mallorca; the most famous of these was the poet and author Robert Graves, whose numerous works included ‘I, Claudius’ – which was adapted into a BBC TV series.

The writer and his companion at the time, Laura Riding, built their home in Deià in 1932. The couple returned to England during the Spanish Civil War and when Graves returned to Mallorca in 1946, it was with his new family.

Robert Graves died in Mallorca in 1985 at the age of 90, and you can see his simple gravestone in Deià’s peaceful churchyard. The Robert Graves Foundation acquired his former home – Ca n’Alluny (which means ‘The Far House’ in Catalan) – and it became a visitor attraction in 2006.

The property is an eight-minute walk from the centre of Deià, and now is a good time to visit, before the village becomes busy with summer visitors.

The house was refurbished but restored to how Graves found it when he returned to Deià, and a lot of what you see is original. Modern additions include air conditioning, wheelchair access, and a small exhibition room.

The self-guided tour takes around forty minutes and begins with a brief video introduction to Robert Graves’s life and a display of illustrations and photographs. Then you visit the house and the garden – with its olive, carob, almond, and citrus trees, and the grotto that he built.

La Casa de Robert Graves is open for visits from Monday to Friday only. For details of opening hours and entry prices see the link.