Friends of Borges

"He who reads a line of Borges
(re)discovers the best library..."

The International Foundation Can Mossenya - Friends of Jorge Luis Borges

"Du projet à la chose
long est le trajet"
Molière

Jorge Luis Borges and his
friend Jacobo Sureda, circa 1920

The creation of this Spanish foundation started in the year 2001 and by early September 2002 it was approved by the Council of Ministers of Spain -as a non for profit, public interest foundation- as published in the Official Bulletin of the Spanish State, the 21st September 2002. The goal of the Foundation is the restoration and cultural development of the estate of Son Mossènyer (meaning "Residence of Monsignor" in Majorcan language, and also known as Can Moseña, in the Castilian spelling or Ca'n Mossenya in the Catalan one).

Under any variation of name, Can Moseña is historic part of the Royal Chartreuse of Jesus of Nazareth , located in Valldemossa, which was an ensemble of buildings and land founded in 1300 by the Carthusian monks, the Christian Order of Saint Bruno, to find silence and peace to consacrate their lives to God, in autonomy from earthly powers. From its seven centuries of precious spiritual, historic and artistic heritage, let us outline the hospitality and the inspiration that the idyllic landscape has offered, over the centuries, to many young people of talent, including: Jorge Luis Borges (with his friend Jacobo Sureda whose family bought part of the estate after the confiscation and sale of Church properties by the Spanish Prime Minister Mendizábal) at the beginning of his immortal trajectory in the craft of verse.

As part of the Royal Chartreuse of Jesus of Nazareth, in 1971 Can Mossenya was granted status as National Heritage of the Kingdom of Spain, in the highest protected category of Historic Monument, on the study and recommendations of the Spanish Royal Academy of Beaux Arts, which has the constitutional duty to care for the historic and artistic patrimony of the Spanish State. This historic status was granted to protect the whole historic estate from the real estate speculators which would, as the turism increases, threat the integrity of this national heritage site; as it is in fact the case now due to what the investigative press call the "cement pact" (or real estate speculators Mafia) between the "Popular Party" founded by the interior minister of Franco's dictatorship and Majorca Unionist Party, lead by the owner of a local cement enterprise, Mrs Maria Antonia Munar, who, against the vote of the large majority of citizens, got, because of her "king maker" position, the presidency of the Council of Majorcan which has the power to control the use of land in the Majorca Island [to learn more visit our page Winter in Majorca, in the News section of this site]

The widespread corruption in Majorca and in Spain is related to the real estate speculation, using political powers to re-classify land from protected categories to "urban land" that can be develop in lucrative real estate. Please read theAuken Report 2009 by the European Parliament. Institutional corruption has resulted in the bankruptcy of Spain since 2008.

In 2011 the UNESCO granted the Serra of Tramuntana, where Can Mossenya estate is located, protection as Patrimony of Humanity in the category of Cultural Landscape.

The foundation´s goal is to protect, recover, consolidate and renew Can Mossenya in order to provide the infrastructure to resume the life of this rich spiritual and artistic heritage as an idyllic support for the education and promotion of new talents in the artistic, intellectual and civic fields, while promoting reading of the works of Jorge Luis Borges.

We are thus working (without any political support, rather the contrary because the local authorities are greedy politicians in the cement business) to make reality the dream of protecting the cultural and spiritual legacy of Can Mossenya by developing its potential into the following infrastructures:

a Castle of Poets [dedicated to William Shakespeare],
a City of Arts [dedicated to Adolfo Bioy Casares] with
a Library of Babel [dedicated to Plato] and equipped with
a Theatre ["The Well of the Quixote"] dedicated to modern authors from Shakespeare and Cervantes onwards;
a Panoramic Auditorium, multifunctional [dedicated to Socrates];
a Centre for Classic Humanities & Greek Theatre [dedicated to Homer and performing arts from the Greek and Latin authors]; and
an Ecumenical Auditorium for Cultures [an space namely for the three monotheist cultures and their Heights of Inspiration: Averroes, Maimonedes, St Augustine, etc. and dedicate to the dialogue of cultures from around the globe]; Gardens dedicated to Poetry and Music; etc.

The aim is to employ the renew infrastructures to support new generations of artists and intellectuals, offering them shelter in an oasis of inspiration where they can find the quality of time to deepen their personal education and to develop their talents supported by the companionship of the greatest contemporary masters in their own vocational field.

A Charterhouse is a heaven of peace protected by the beauty of God's creation

The Grand Chartreuse, France, founded by St Bruno in 1200
The Chartreuse Massif, designated in 1995 as the Parc Naturel Régional de Chartreuse, stretches north from Grenoble towards Chambéry and, like Vercors, is not easy to visit without your own vehicle. The landscape, however, is spectacular, and very different to that of the Vercors: precipitous limestone peaks, mountain pastures and thick forest. he main local landmark is the Grande Chartreuse monastery, situated up the narrow Gorges des Guiers Mort, southeast of St-Laurent-du-Pont, and some 35km from Grenoble, one of nineteen Carthusian monasteries still functioning worldwide. The Carthusian Order, dating from the eleventh century, was the last great monastic reform movement, and was founded in answer to the degeneration of the Cistercian Order.
Practising a strictly hermit-like existence, its members live in cells and meet only for Mass and a weekly communal meal, eaten in silence. Since 1605, however, the Carthusians have been better known as the producers of Chartreuses – powerfully alcoholic herbal elixirs, ranging from the better-known green and yellow variants to a number of gentler fruit liqueurs. The monastery is not open to the public, but near the village of ST-PIERRE-DE-CHARTREUSE, 5km back on the Grenoble road, you can visit the Musée de la Grande Chartreuse, formerly La Correrie monastery, which illustrates the life of the Carthusian Order.

The former picture shows the building of The Grand Chartreuse Museum near Grenoble, France

Watch 'Into Great Silence' (Die GroBe Stille)
by Philip Groening

Chartreuse of Reposoir

It was founded in 1151 by Jean of Spain
and is located between the town of Cluses and the top of the Colombière, in the Aravis mountains, France

Chartreuse de St Croix en Jarez

France, in the Regional Natural Park of Pilat

Charterhouse of St. Lawrence in Padula, Italy

St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster, England, UK

Chartreuse of Vallbonne, France

It is located at 50kms of Avignon, is an historic monument own and managed by a Protestant association
Set in the heart of a magnificent thousand-year-old forest, the Chartreuse de Valbonne, historic monument dating from the 13th century , is located between the gorges of the Ardeche and the Ceze river valley. The site offers, in an exceptional environment, hotel-seminar services, concerts, and a complete range of Cotes du Rhone wines. A nationally recognized non-profit association now manages this monastery, which has always had a calling for hospitality, solidarity and sharing.