Can Baltasar II
This building, located on the corner of Carrer Pastor and Carrer del Sol, is a traditional Mallorcan construction with a ground floor and two upper storeys, decorated with Modernist elements in the first-floor balcony and in the railings of some of the windows. The wrought iron that runs along the corner balcony is decorated with circles and stars. The same decoration is repeated in the window railings, while inside the rooms feature Manises tiles.
As in many other cases in Sóller, the children of Baltasar Marquès, Josep and Ramon, emigrated to Puerto Rico; upon their return in 1886, they established a textile factory that eventually had up to 15 mechanical looms. In 1893, Josep Marquès sold his machines and his brother Ramon returned to Puerto Rico, where he made a fortune in coffee. The house passed to the heirs and is currently owned by foreign residents.
Can Baltasar has the longest balcony in Sóller. It was one of the first textile factories, and at the rear remains of the old building can still be seen in the entrance portal. One of the founders of this factory, Ramon Marquès, was also one of the founders of the Banc de Sóller. This area was known as Els Trasts (Sol, la Palma), because the plots had specific dimensions and it was the first urban development in Sóller, where vineyards were the predominant land use.
