The parents of Berenguer d'Anoia were Catalans of noble origin from Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and they settled in Inca after the island's conquest by King James 1st. This information relative to his family and his origins is hidden in his writings in the form of an acrostic.
Berenguer d'Anoia I am called;
my father was a nobleman.
In Inca was I born,
and in Anoia were born my parents.
The mirror of composition, versification or rhyming begins. Because if one gazes or observes oneself in the mirror, one can see in this little text how to compose, rhyme or versify, where each can either refrain from writing what they do not wish or else write it if they see fit. For just as a mirror may break and, with difficulty, be repaired, this text can be destroyed and, with difficulty, be rewritten or repaired.
Thus the first part is from the verse
The second from the alphabet
The third from the figures of the metaplasm
The fourth from the vices to avoid
The fifth from rhetorical figures suitable for composition.
Mirall de trobar, ca. 1300-1340
Translated by Rachel Waters.
(Ca. 1300). Berenguer d’Anoia is a 14th century Mallorcan troubadour about whom we have few biographical references. His parents, who were of noble Catalan origin from Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, settled in Inca after the Christian conquest of Mallorca. This information about his family and his origins can be found in acrostics in his writings. He wrote Mirall de trobar (Mirror of Composition), a treatise on the rules of poetry, grammar and rhetoric, written in Occitan. It includes notions and aspects relating to the alphabet, metaplasm, vices and ornaments of rhetoric as means of gaining a skilful command of metrics, grammar and rhetoric. Medieval poetry was very popular in different circles and, in many cases, troubadours accompanied their verses with musical compositions. These compositions were mainly orally transmitted. In the book, Berenguer d'Anoia included case studies of verses by troubadours from Provence or of classical origins. In the opening words of the treatise, Berenguer d'Anoia wrote his name and origin using a double acrostic.
The old quarter of Inca is made up of a network of irregular streets and buildings, dating back to the 14th century. Its urban fabric, with San Francisco monastery and the old parish church as part of the initial town centre, survived with few changes through to the early 20th century, when the town began to grow and modifications to its layout became more evident. Its civil architecture includes numerous large mansions, mostly dating back to the baroque period, plus several examples of wineries. Back in medieval times, Inca stood out for its shoemaking industry. This craft with leatherwork has survived through to today, with Inca being one of the main manufacturing centres, particularly in the 20th century.
