Building a Dream on the island of Menorca

I met Daniela and Paula Franceschini at a candlelit dinner party in an abandoned castle in Sintra, Portugal. It was one of those moments where you swear you see sparkles in the air. These two sisters from Spain are creating the reality so many of us dream about. To own a property, invite visionaries and live off the land. The setting for the magic is the pristine Balearic island of Menorca. It’s an area known for creatives taking solace from the hustle - Chillada, Picasso, Dali to name a few, decamped here for the summer months. The creativity of the locale is still palpable in the arid Mediterranean air. You can find ballet’s held inside Lithica (an old elaborate rock mine), artist residences sprinkled throughout and La Isla Del Ray is currently in works to be the home of a dynamic art gallery. The Franceschini's tailored countryside retreat has restored historic caves, tombs and mini circle amphitheaters where they plan to host gatherings. It’s a true energy vortex kind of space. The sisters complimentary backgrounds imbue their dreamy project. Daniela, an esteemed interior designer on the Portugal scene and Paula hails from the hospitality world. The grand vision includes eating off the land at their on-site restaurant and hosting unconventional experiences with depth. It’s a canvas for creativity with a feeling of home. They’ll call it Can Temps, meaning the house of time. A place to slow down and let the moments stretch out. You never know what shows up in the space between. Opening 2022. — Emilie Talermo

The sisters on their property. Photo taken by Joan Alsina.