The House
British poet and author Robert Graves came to Deià, Mallorca, with his partner, American poet Laura Riding in 1929. Together, they built this house, Ca n’Alluny, a short distance from the village, among the olive groves. However, in 1936 they were forced to leave the island when the Spanish Civil War started. The Second World War then followed. In 1946, after ten long years, having split with Riding and with peace restored, Robert Graves was now able to return to Ca n’Alluny with his new wife Beryl and family. He lived there until his death in 1985.
On Beryl Graves’s death, in 2003, Ca n’Alluny was acquired by the Balearic Government. The house was refurbished and adapted for visitors and the garden was restored to its 1930s layout and planting. It opened to the public in the summer of 2006 and can be visited on week-days all-year-round*.
*see opening hours for details.
About Robert Graves
Robert was born in Wimbledon, London in 1895. When leaving Charterhouse School in 1914, the First World War started almost immediately, and he joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers. He was seriously wounded in the Battle of the Somme. Demobilized in 1919, he studied literature at Oxford University. He married twice and had a total of 8 children. After settling permanently in Mallorca, he continued to visit England and lectured world-wide. Among other honours and prizes, he was elected Professor of Poetry at Oxford University for the 1961-1966 tenure; in 1968 he received the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry from H.M. Elizabeth II; the same year he was made Adoptive Son of Deià. He died in Ca n’Alluny in 1985, and is buried in the Deià cemetery.
His Works
Robert Graves was first and foremost a poet. For a living, however, he wrote novels and non-fiction on subjects which interested him. He published over 140 books: about poetry, mythology, and religion; historical novels, translations, biographies, children's stories; and also many collections of his poems. He published hundreds of articles and letters to the press. His books have been translated into some 30 languages. He is remembered mostly for his poetry and for I, Claudius, Goodbye to All That and The White Goddess.
About the Foundation
The Robert Graves Foundation was established in 2005 to acquire Ca n’Alluny and open it as a Literary House with a permanent exhibition on Robert Graves. The Foundation also aims to promote the cultural heritage left by him through books and pamphlets, conferences, literary events and to connect with schools and universities. It is a Public Foundation under the auspices of the Department of Culture of the Government of the Balearics. On the Board sit the Councillor for Culture, the Director General for Culture, the Mayor of Deià, a representative each of the Council for Mallorca, and the University of the Balearics, a member of the Graves family, and others.
Planning Your Visit
We recommend you allow at least one hour for your visit so you can watch the 15 minute film on Robert Graves, wander through the rooms in the house, visit the exhibition hall, and amble around the beautifully kept 1930’s garden. The visit is self-guided with description panels at the entrance to each room. A guide book is available at the ticket office.
Opening Hours
SUMMER:
Monday to Friday 09:30 to 16:30 (last admission 15:50)
WINTER:
Monday to Friday 09:00 to 16:00 (last admission 15:20)
CLOSED: Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and Christmas. Please check for dates here
In addition to the above holidays we are usually closed to the public during the Christmas and New-year period for essential maintenance work and staff holidays. The duration of the break will depend on our specific need each year. If you are considering visiting us during the second half of December and early January please check our website nearer the date for more details.
Prices
All major debit and credit cards are accepted as are payments by phone and by smartwatch.
*All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Groups and School Visits
If visiting as a group please advise in advance so that we can arrange your visit. Please use the contact form at the bottom of the page. School visits should always be pre-arranged and are limited to Thursdays during the Summer timetable. Teaching material is available at:
Gift Shop
Located in the ticket office, we sell books by Robert Graves and about Robert Graves as well as other Graves memorabilia (T-shirts, cups, bookmarks, hand-printed poems ,etc.) postcards, and a few genuine Mallorcan sourvenirs.
Please note that the booklet, “Robert Graves and Ca n’Alluny” by William Graves, is on sale here. It not only supplements the posted description panels with a fuller description of the visit, it contains a detailed description of the exhibition, and a list of Graves’s books. And it begins with a short illustrated ‘life and works’ of Robert Graves.
Accessibility for visitors with reduced mobility
The auditorium, house and most parts of the garden are wheelchair accessible. Our wheelchair lift to take disabled visitors to upper floor of the house requires an operator and a second person. If you use a wheelchair and plan to visit us, please contact us in advance so that we can arrange extra help if necessary. We can also provide a wheelchair or a walking frame if required. Our accessible toilet is located behind the auditorium. Disabled visitors may be dropped off by car at the gate of the house, but the car needs to be parked at one of the car parks.
Notes
Find Us
La Casa de Robert Graves is located between the main village of Deià and the S'Empaltada housing-estate on the MA-10 Road. There is no immediate parking lot or bus stop, so a short walk is necessary. There is a dedicated footpath along the MA-10 highway where you can enjoy views of the olive groves and the Sierra de Tramuntana.
Arriving by Bus:
Deià is served by Buses on TIB Route 203 (Baleric Islands Transport). The closest bus stops are:
(1)
Route Palma-Port de Soller stop #18004.
Route Port de Soller-Palma stop #18003.
(2)
Route Palma-Port de Soller stop #18010.
Route Port de Soller-Palma stop #18002.
Car Parks:
(1)
Plus Code
GPS
(2)
Plus Code
GPS
Occasionally there is a space in front of the gate.
Contact Us
Use this form to let us know you're visiting us or if you have any specific needs.
LA CASA DE ROBERT GRAVES
WILL BE CLOSED ON THE
FOLLOWING DATES
2024
2025