The decision to go to Majorca was taken in early autumn or late summer 1838. The main reason was Chopin’s deteriorating health – he was suffering from tuberculosis – and the need to escape the unfavourable climatic conditions of Paris due to the rheumatic problems of George Sand’s son, Maurice. George Sand, as an emancipated and highly imaginative woman, decided to take Frédéric and her children on a journey intended to improve their health and provide creative inspiration. Although, as the French writer Astolphe de Custine (1790–1857) noted:

‘He will never return from there. He did not have the courage to tell me he was leaving; he merely said he needed a mild climate and some rest! Rest! – in the company of a vampire!’

Initial expectations were high. Chopin wrote to his friend Julian Fontana with enthusiasm, describing Majorca as a paradise on earth: ‘A sky like turquoise, a sea like azure, mountains like emeralds, air like that of heaven’. However, reality turned out to be far from ideal.

Arrival in Palma and Valldemossa

Chopin and Sand set off from Paris separately, but met up in the south of France, where the poet was to arrive ‘as fresh as a rose and as pink as a beetroot, in good health, after four nights heroically spent in a post coach’ – as George Sand recorded it. Thereafter, travelling together, they went to Barcelona, from where, accompanied by Sand’s children – Maurice and Solange – and their maid Amélie, they sailed to Majorca aboard the steamship ‘El Mallorquin’. They arrived on the island on 8 November 1838, equipped with letters of introduction from the Spanish consul.

Upon arrival, it turned out that there were no hotels on the island . Initially, they stayed at the Son Vent estate in Palma de Mallorca , renting two small, unfurnished rooms. After a few days, they managed to move to the Son Ven villa in Establiments . After their initial delight with the island, the weather took a turn for the worse, and the unheated rooms significantly worsened Chopin’s health . It was then that Chopin suffered his first bout of tuberculosis , as he recalled in one of his letters:

Three of the most famous doctors on the whole island: one sniffed what I coughed up, another tapped where I coughed, and the third felt and listened whilst I coughed. One said I was dead, another that I was dying, the third that I would die [...] and, by the grace of Providence, I am as well as ever today.

The news of the infectious disease was passed on by the doctors to the local authorities, who recommended their departure and quarantine .

In December 1838, they found refuge in Valldemossa , a small town situated in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, where they took up residence in the former Carthusian monastery, the Real Cartuja de Jesús de Nazaret . As the writer recalled, a miracle occurred and, as fate would have it, a Spanish refugee who was hiding there with his wife at the time had to leave the island, offering them his ‘modest but comfortably furnished cell’.

So, in mid-December, on a fine morning, they set off for Valldemossa and took up residence in their cell , which – due to persistent damp – was not conducive to convalescence . The composer compared the cell in the monastery to a ‘tall coffin’, and the whole place to an abandoned, gloomy refuge.

The stay at the monastery was intended to create an atmosphere of seclusion and tranquillity, which Chopin needed to work on his music. It was in Valldemossa that Chopin composed some of his most famous works , including the cycle of 24 preludes . Despite these achievements, their stay in Majorca was marked by difficulties and disappointments.

Return to France

On 13 February 1839 , Chopin and George Sand decided to leave Majorca, where they had spent a total of 59 days. Chopin’s illness showed no sign of abating; on the contrary, it was getting worse. They returned to France via Marseille, where the musician underwent treatment. In a letter to Charlotte Marliani, Sand wrote: ‘Another month, and we would have died in Spain, both Chopin and I—he from melancholy and revulsion, I from anger and indignation’.

Although the trip to Majorca was intended to be a therapeutic escape, it ended in disappointment and a deterioration in Chopin’s health. However, the artistic output of this stay was extraordinary – Majorca will forever remain the place where some of the composer’s most beautiful works were born.

Chopin’s legacy in Majorca

The most important place associated with Chopin in Majorca is undoubtedly Valldemossa , a picturesque town situated in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains , about 20 kilometres north-west of Palma. Today, more than 180 years after that journey, Majorca – and Valldemossa in particular – is a place of pilgrimage for lovers of Chopin’s music.

The former Carthusian monastery houses a museum dedicated to the composer, where visitors can see his letters, manuscripts and the piano on which he worked during his stay. Furthermore, a statue of Fryderyk Chopin by the Polish sculptor Zofia Wolska was unveiled in the monastery courtyard in 1998 . In Palma , meanwhile, there is a modern plaque commemorating Chopin’s visit.

The monastery houses a museum – or , in fact, two Chopin museums . One of them (occupying cells 2 and 3) houses a magnificent collection of Chopin memorabilia. We owe its creation to Bartomeu Ferrà and his wife Anne-Marie Boutroux. It was they who, in 1916, purchased the cell now marked as No. 2, in which Chopin and Sand were said to have lived – a claim which has, however, been called into question and led to the establishment of a second museum in cell No. 4.

The collection comprises not only traces of the artistic couple’s stay on the island, but above all the result of a collection that has been expanding for some 30 years. The collection includes, amongst other things, autographed sheet music, personal items such as a comb, a waistcoat, a chest of drawers, a casket gifted by the composer to George Sand, a lock of hair, as well as 159 editions of Chopin’s works, and portraits of Chopin, which Ewa Sławińska-Dahlig lists in her article, based on an inventory drawn up by Bożena Schmid-Adamczyk in the early 1970s (in total, it comprises 434 items directly associated with the Polish composer).

Portraits of Chopin at the Museum in Valldemossa

Compiled from Bożena Schmid-Adamczyk’s work

1. Louis Gallait
   1843
   Oil on canvas
   48.5 x 35.5 cm
   Inscription: ‘Louis Gallait 1843’
   Gand Bishop Collection
   Auctioned twice, in 2019 and 2024
2. Artist unknown
   Late 19th century
   Gouache on ivory
   6.5 x 5 cm
   Inscription: “Böhringer”
   Private collection
   Sold at auction in 2019
3. Luigi Calamatta
   c. 1840
   Pencil drawing
   29.2 cm × 28.4 cm
   Inv. No. I/12
4. Albert Colfs
   1961
   Coloured pencil, pastels
   24 cm × 18.3 cm (in passe-partout)
   Inscription: “A. Colfs d’après A. Graefle”
   Inv. No. I/24
   On the reverse of the frame, a dedication to Anne-Marie Boutroux de Ferrà
5. Teofil Kwiatkowski
   1849
   Pen, sepia, ink, pencil
   27.8 cm × 22 cm
   Reference: bearing an annotation from 1851 and a dedication ‘à Madame Dulong’
   Inv. No. I/4
6. Teofil Kwiatkowski
   ‘Chopin on his deathbed’
   1849
   Pencil
   11.1 cm × 15 cm (drawing only), 27.8 cm × 32.3 cm (passe-partout)
   Reference: ‘Chopin on his deathbed / for Chopin’s friend Mr Pleyel’
   Inv. No. I/10
7. Jean-Joseph-Bonaventure Laurens
   ‘Chopin playing the piano’
   Pencil
   8.8 cm x 7.3 cm (sketch only), 11.5 cm × 18.1 cm (entire piece)
   Inv. No. I/8
   A copy of a drawing by January Suchodolski from c. 1844, a page from the artist’s album
8. Ary Scheffer [?]
   c. 1847
   Oil on canvas
   70.3 cm x 54.2 cm
   Inv. No. I/9
9. Pierre Roche Vigneron
   1833
   Lithograph
   19 cm x 26 cm
   Inv. No. Im/84
   Lithograph from the *Album des pianistes* published by M. Schlesinger, produced in Gottfried Engelmann’s studio.
10. Artist unknown
    1840s
    Oil on canvas
    48.5 cm × 37.8 cm
    Inv. No. I/13

Difficulties with the piano and subsequent controversies

One of the major logistical problems during Chopin’s stay in Majorca was the lack of a suitable piano . To this end, Chopin purchased a new instrument from Pleyel, which was manufactured in September 1938 and was due to be delivered to Majorca as early as October. However, the delivery was significantly delayed , and the instrument subsequently became stuck at customs; bringing it in involved lengthy negotiations and high customs duties.

As Sand wrote in one of her letters dated 14 December:

He misses his piano terribly. Today we finally received news about it. It has set off from Marseille and we shall receive it, perhaps in two weeks’ time.

It arrived in Marseille on 20 December, but the customs duty was to amount to as much as 600 francs (whereas the price of the instrument was 1,200 francs). In the end, the duty was reduced to 300 francs and the instrument arrived at the monastery in the first week of January.

In the end, the instrument probably did not reach Chopin until 21 December or early January ( various accounts exist), by which time Chopin was already practising intensively on a local, less-than-perfect piano.

As early as the 20th century , however , uncertainties arose as to which of the cells the couple actually occupied, as well as which of the instruments there Chopin was supposed to have played. This became the subject of subsequent, long-running controversy and even a legal battle.

The first attempt to resolve this was made in 1935, when a special government commission was set up , which determined that it was most likely (a view supported by the majority of its members) cell number 3. It turned out, however, that it was not entirely clear which cell was designated as such .

The problem is that the first cell occupied by the abbot has no number . Therefore, according to one version, the current cell number 2 was originally cell number 1 , number 3 (which also belongs to the museum) was cell number 2, and cell number 4 – which has a different owner – was cell number 3 (and it was in this cell that Chopin would have lived at that time). The second version, however, assumes that the numbering was never changed .

The problem is that there are two pianos in the monastery – in the cell currently marked number 2 and in cell number 4, both of which have different owners. The controversy therefore centres on which of these cells Chopin actually stayed in and on which of the instruments he composed his preludes.

In cell number 4 there is an instrument made by Camille Pleyel’s firm . And this is where the first doubts arise – although it is marked with a company plaque bearing the inscription ‘Médailles d’Or / 1827&1834 / Pianos […] Pleyel & Comp. du Roi / Paris’ and the number 6668 – which matches the number of the instrument used by the composer – yet, according to Jean Jude, whilst the instrument itself is authentic – it is possible that its veneer has been altered, as it is made of veined mahogany rather than the standard variety as recorded in the company’s register – it cannot be ruled out that this was done for fear of tuberculosis germs.

Essentially, however , there is no doubt that this is the instrument Chopin commissioned and for which he had to wait so long. The question has arisen, however, as to whether – given its such late delivery – it was indeed on this instrument that most of his compositions were written . The matter is complicated by the fact that the second piano (the one currently in cell number 2) is, according to its owners, the one on which Chopin played during the early part of his stay. Research into its authenticity has shown that its construction does not allow it to be dated before the mid-19th century.

This is confirmed by a 2011 court ruling, according to which the piano located in the museum (i.e. cell number 2) is not the instrument on which Chopin played . It was not placed there until 1931. According to Zbigniew Skowron’s findings, we have some information about the fate of that first, rented, piano. It naturally remained on the island, and it was there – in a monastery cell – that the pianist Wanda Landowska came across it in 1912; after some time, she managed to acquire the instrument.

She exhibited it in 1937 at an exhibition at the Polish Library in Paris. However, its subsequent fate is unknown – it was probably destroyed during the Second World War. The authenticity of this instrument, moreover, is based solely on oral tradition.

Chopin’s Preludes – a musical legacy of Majorca

One of the most important artistic outcomes of Chopin’s stay in Majorca is the cycle of preludes , many of which were composed in Valldemossa – including: the Polonaise in C minor (Op. 40.2), the ‘Majorcan Ballad’ (Ballade in F major, Op. 38) and the Military Polonaise (Op. 40.1) . These pieces, full of melancholy and deep emotion, capture the atmosphere of loneliness, isolation and suffering that Chopin experienced during that difficult winter on the island. The best-known piece in this cycle, the ‘Rain Prelude’ (D flat major) , is often associated with the sound of rain falling on the monastery roof, which is said to have inspired the composer.

Chopin’s works from this period reflect his inner struggles, whilst Majorca itself – both in terms of its landscape and its climate – became a source of inspiration for the composer, despite numerous adversities.

A tribute to a musical genius – the Fryderyk Chopin monument in Valldemossa

The idea of erecting a monument to Chopin in Valldemossa arose as a result of growing interest in the composer and his connection with Majorca. In 1998, to honour the composer’s memory, a monument to Fryderyk Chopin, designed by the Polish sculptor Zofia Wolska, a statue of Fryderyk Chopin, designed by the Polish sculptor Zofia Wolska, was unveiled .

The monument, made of bronze , is situated in the courtyard of the former monastery . It consists of a bust of Fryderyk Chopin mounted on a stone plinth. A plaque affixed to the monument bears a bilingual inscription in Polish: ‘Fryderyk Chopin, Polish composer. He stayed here in 1838–1839. Sculpture by Zofia Wolska. A gift from Poland, 1998’ and in Spanish: “Fryderyk Chopin, Polish composer. He lived on this island from 1838 to 1839. Sculpture by Zofia Wolska. Donated by Poland, 1998”.

In her sculpture, Wolska focused on the emotional aspect of the composer’s life and work, avoiding a classical, grandiose style. The bust exudes calm and contemplation . Chopin’s face is depicted in a realistic manner. Although it is crafted from a hard, raw material such as bronze, it exudes subtlety and tranquillity, reflecting Chopin’s introspective nature. The figure’s closed eyes seem to suggest that the artist is not looking at the outside world, but is delving into his inner self, into the creative space where his musical visions are born.

Chopin’s delicate facial features, with his forehead slightly bowed and his eyelids closed, express not only deep reflection but also a certain nostalgia – the very same we hear in his nocturnes and preludes. His slender figure, captured in this sculpture, also serves as a reminder of the fragility of the composer’s life; from a young age, he struggled with illness, which influenced his work. It seems that through this sculpture, Wolska sought to capture this fragility, whilst at the same time showcasing the artist’s unyielding strength of spirit.

The outline of his long, flowing hair gently frames his face, lending the composition both delicacy and expressive power. The sculpture’s simple yet evocative form emphasises the composer’s inner emotionality and sensitivity, qualities he channelled into his musical works. The whole is set upon a rough, block-like stone plinth, which lends the piece a sense of austerity, contrasting with the gentle expression on the artist’s face.

In creating this bust, paid tribute to the composer’s complex emotionality, imbuing her work with a sense of tranquillity that seems to be a metaphor for the silence preceding the creation of music – that brief moment when the artist turns inwards before the light of creativity bursts forth.

The monument also features an inscription, likewise on a bronze plaque, commemorating the ceremonial unveiling of the statue of Fryderyk Chopin on 21 September 1998, carried out by the wife of the President of Poland, Jolanta Kwaśniewska, and the Queen of Spain, Sofia. At that time, the mayor of Valldemossa was Joan Muntaner Marroig.

In Spanish: “SCULPTURE UNVEILED ON 21 SEPTEMBER 1998 BY THE WIFE OF THE PRESIDENT OF POLAND, DOÑA JOLANTA KWAŚNIEWSKA, AND BY H.M. QUEEN DOÑA SOFÍA, WHEN DON JOAN MUNTANER MARROIG WAS MAYOR OF VALLDEMOSSA.”

In Polish: “THE SCULPTURE WAS UNVEILED ON 21 SEPTEMBER 1998 BY THE WIFE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, JOLANTA KWAŚNIEWSKA, AND H.K.M., QUEEN ZOFIA, WHEN JOAN MUNTANER MARROIG WAS MAYOR OF VALLDEMOSSA”

The sculpture forms part of the artist’s Chopin series (at Okęcie Airport in Warsaw, in front of the main entrance to the Stadtmuseum in Düsseldorf, and in front of the manor house in Żelazowa Wola).

International Chopin Concerts in Valldemossa

The monastery in Valldemossa is also the venue where, since 1930 (with a break from 1936 to 1965), International Chopin Concerts – the oldest Chopin festival, which attracts both outstanding pianists and music lovers from all over the world. These concerts, held during the summer months, are not only a tribute to Chopin’s music but also a unique opportunity to hear his works in the very place where they were composed.

The tradition of organising Chopin concerts in Majorca dates back over 80 years. The programme mainly features preludes and other works composed by Chopin, and the atmosphere of the concerts is enhanced by the historic setting of the monastery and its beautiful garden.

Culture and tourism – Chopin in Majorca today

Thanks to Chopin’s presence and his connections with Majorca, the island has become an important location on the map of European musical heritage. Valldemossa attracts not only music lovers, but also tourists interested in history and culture. Strolling through the town’s narrow streets, one can almost sense the atmosphere of those days when Chopin and Sand sought respite and inspiration here.

As well as the monastery, visitors can explore numerous cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops that reflect Valldemossa’s connection to Chopin . You may also come across local cultural initiatives that promote the composer’s life and work, as well as Majorca as a place of creative inspiration.

George Sand and ‘A Winter in Majorca’

The stay in Majorca yielded not only Chopin’s music, but also George Sand’s literature . Upon her return to France , the writer published the book *A Winter in Majorca*, released in 1842, which became her subjective account of her stay on the island. In the book, Sand describes not only the beauty of nature, but also the difficulties they encountered during their stay, including the rainy weather, the chill of the monastery and the local inhabitants’ hostility towards Chopin, who was suffering from tuberculosis.

Although Sand’s book is full of criticism of Majorca and its inhabitants, it constitutes a valuable historical document , providing a better understanding of the context of that period. ‘Winter in Majorca’ is still read and analysed, both by literature enthusiasts and by those wishing to learn about the history of Chopin and Sand’s relationship. It was during her stay in Majorca that she wrote her novel ‘Spiridion’ .