Balearics tourist tax: Eight million euros for historic building

Can Serra, abandoned for decades. | Miquel À. Cañellas

Andrew EdePalma27/08/2022 08:27

On Monday, Palma's culture department will present a proposal to the town hall's governing board for the rehabilitation of Can Serra, an historic building that has been owned by the town hall since 2005, was declared an asset in the cultural interest in 1992 but which is in a terrible state of abandonment.

This proposal is for 8,473,519.69 euros of tourist tax revenue, and it is due to be forwarded for consideration for funding from this year's revenue. If there is approval, work would begin in the final quarter of 2023 and be completed in 2025. The intention is that Can Serra would house the city's history museum, among other purposes.

The original building dates back to mediaeval times. There was a major transformation in the eighteenth century, but it retained decorative elements said to be of great heritage value.

The deputy mayor for culture, Antoni Noguera, is optimistic that there will be tourist tax funding. "This is a project which gives meaning to the essence of the sustainable tourism tax. For this reason alone, it should go ahead."

The Balearic government acquired the building in 2002 with 1.4 million euros of revenue from the previous ecotax. In 2005, it became municipal property and in 2010 a restoration project was commissioned.