WELL-KNOWN FIGURES

Blai Bonet i Rigo (Santanyí 1926 – Cala Figuera 1997)

Writer. In 1939, aged only 12, he entered the seminary at Palma, where he studied humanities for five years and philosophy for three, as well as acquiring a solid knowledge of classical culture. His life was marked by tuberculosis, which forced him to leave the Seminary and start spending periods at the Caubet sanatorium. In 1950, he was discovered as a poet when Bernat Vidal i Tomàs read Quatre poemes de Setmana Santa (Four Easter Poems) at Guillem Colom's salon. That was when he went to live in Catalonia. For five years he had a fixed section in the magazine Destí and for two years he was artistic adviser to Edicions Polígrafa. Because of health problems, in 1968 he returned to live in Santanyí after 15 years in Catalonia , but he continued his literary and journalistic work.

His works include Quatre poemes de Setmana Santa (Four Easter Poems), Entre el coral i l'espiga (Between the coral and the spike), Cant espiritual (Spiritual song), Et nunc manet ‘ in' te, El Mar (The Sea), Haceldama, Comèdia (Comedy), Judes i la primavera (Judas and the spring), Tàpies, testimonis de la pintura espanyola, l'Evangeli segons un de tants (Tàpies, witnesses to Spanish painting, the Gospel according to one of them), Míster Evasió (Mr Escape), Els ulls (The eyes), La Mirada (The Gaze), El Jove (The Young Man), Nova York (New York), Si jo fos fuster i el teu et diguessis Maria (If I were a carpenter and you were called Maria), Pere Pau and Sonets.

The public school in Santanyí has borne his name since 1987. In 1988, the University of the Balearic Islands paid tribute to him, in 1990 the Catalan government awarded him the Cross of Sant Jordi and the same year he was awarded the gold medal of the City of Palma . In 1998, Santanyí Municipal Council named him an "illustrious son".

Rafel Josep Verger i Suau (Santanyí, 1722 – Monterrey , 1790)

Churchman. At the age of 12 he felt a religious vocation and entered the convent of Jesus in Palma . In 1747, he received an episcopal licence to preach and, at 27, he was attracted by missionary work, so he set off for Mexico in 1749. He was at the San Fernando Propaganda Fide College for 33 years and his work always focused on defending the natives. He had a very good relationship with Friar Juníper Serra.

In 1783, he was chosen to be bishop of the New Kingdom of León in Mexico , and laid the foundations for an extensive diocese. While he was bishop, he ordered a new plan for the city of Monterrey . He tried to organise agriculture as a basis for subsistence and introduced some Mallorcan species into Mexico.

Santanyí Municipal Council named him an "illustrious son" in 1949. A school in the area has borne his name since 1961.

Bernat Vidal i Tomàs (Santanyí 1918 – 1971)

Writer and pharmacist. He studied pharmacy in Barcelona and, from 1946, he was the local pharmacist. In addition to his profession, he dedicated himself to historical research and to literature. He can be considered the spiritual father of many of the municipality's writers.

Between 1958 and 1965 he was a regular contributor to the publication Santanyí , which he himself helped to found, and for many years he was the official chronicler of the area. He had a great influence on Mallorcan poetry in the 50s and, particularly, on Blai Bonet, to such a degree that a " Santanyí School " is even spoken of. He directed plays, gave speeches and took part in congresses. He was also commissioner for archaeological excavations, member of the General Body of Official Chroniclers of Spain and of the Monterrey and Mexico Academy of Historical Sciences, and Academic Correspondent of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Palma.

Outstanding among his published works were: Consolació, Recull de documents i notícies sobre el santuari de Santanyí (Consolació, collection of documents and news items about the sanctuary at Santanyí), Moros a la costa de Santanyí i el seu temps (Moors on the coast of Santanyí and their times), Memòries d'una estàtua (Memoirs of a statue) and La vida en rosa.

Santanyí Municipal Council dedicated a street to him in 1976 and in 1982 he was declared an "illustrious son". Some poetry prizes bearing his name were created in 1986.

Jaume Antoni Clar i Vila (Santanyí 1845 -1909)

Politician. He had a considerable influence on the progress of the municipality of Santanyí , especially concerning agricultural advances. He was a member of the council without a break from 1885 until the day he died in 1909, occupying the posts of mayor, deputy mayor, councillor and trustee. During these years, important public works were undertaken, like the construction of the new town hall, the cemetery chapel, the clock and the bell tower. The Council named him an "illustrious son" in 1909.

Antoni Vidal Ferrando (Santanyí, 1945)

Writer and teacher. His literary work stems from his identity as an islander, constructing a discourse on the contemporary human being. As a poet, he has won the Ausiàs March (1985) and City of Palma (1995) prizes together with the Flor Natural at the Barcelona Jocs Florals (1994), among others. Of his books we could highlight Calvari (Calvary) (1992), El batec dels pedres (The beating of the stones) (1995) and Cap de cantó (Head of Canton ) (2004).

As a novelist, his still incomplete trilogy on the post-war period in the islands should be remembered. To date, the first two volumes have appeared: Les llunes i els calàpets (The moons and the toads) (1994) and La mà del jardiner (The gardener's hand) (1999). The latter received the Sant Joan prize for novels.

For a time he dedicated himself to history, and many essays resulted from this stage, the most important of which is La població i propietat de la terra en el municipi de Santanyí (1868 – 1920) (Population and property on the land and in the municipality of Santanyí (1868-1920) . In the last few years, various poetry anthologies have appeared, among them La lògica del temps (The logic of time) (2002), created with computerised support.

Antònia Vicens (Santanyí, 1941)

Writer. She has one of the most solid and interesting careers of all novelists in Catalan. Since she was small she has loved hearing the language spoken in her town and she used to listen to older people's conversations. All these experiences gave rise to her first stories. In 1965, she received the first recognition for her work, when she won the Cantonigrós literary competition with a compilation of three stories. But the real acid test of her literature was when, in 1967, she won the Sant Jordi prize with her novel 39º a l'ombra (39º in the shade).

This prize gave an impulse to her literary career and, since then, she has published many novels in which critics and readers continue to see a tenacious, intelligent writer concerned for issues like the situation of women, loneliness, and the changes undergone by Mallorca in the last 30 years, together with the way they have affected the latest generations.

As well as novels like La Santa (The Saint) (1980), Terra seca (Dry land (1987), Febre alta (High fever) (1998) or Lluny del tren (Far from the train) (2002), she has published books of stories and a volume written in collaboration with Joseph Maria Llompart: Vocabulari privat (Private vocabulary) (1993).

She is currently chairwoman in the Balearic Islands of the Association of Writers in the Catalan Language.