Mallorca’s first women’s school: four centuries told

Mallorca’s first school for women has a book of its own: published on Thursday, 12 November, it traces four centuries of the Casa de la Criança, where women could study outside their homes for the first time. Albert Cassanyes and Pere Fullana wrote La Casa de la Criança, the first book-length study devoted to the centre. Edicions UIB and Publicacions de la Universitat de València published it.

Four humanists founded the Casa de la Criança, and the Beguine Isabel Cifre became its first head. It was among the earliest education centres independent of the Church. It began as a private institution and later became public. But the chance to learn away from home had limits: what women studied remained closely tied to the gender roles of the time.

The authors see the book as a starting point for further research. They will discuss it at the Casa de la Criança at 18.30 on Thursday with Josep Amengual of the Congregation of Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts and Francisca Comas, who holds a doctorate in the history of education from the University of the Balearic Islands.

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com