May 15, 2026 4 min read

Barreres d’Ullastre: The Art of the Menorcan Countryside

The Menorcan countryside never ceases to offer surprising sights. Its flora and fauna make the island a unique place—one that its inhabitants have carefully preserved throughout history. Every element seems to have a purpose. The parets seques (dry-stone walls) structure the land, rural paths connect the llocs (traditional farmsteads), pastures feed the livestock, and ullastre (wild olive) gates open and close the passage between fields. Together, they form a harmonious landscape in which nature and human craftsmanship are difficult to separate.

One of the most distinctive crafts of the island’s rural world is the making of barreres d’ullastre, traditional wild olive gates. Common throughout the Mediterranean basin, this wild relative of the cultivated olive tree provides a robust wood, recognisable by its irregular shapes and the absence of identical lines. Every piece is different, giving each gate a character of its own.

Beyond their practical role in organising the land and managing livestock, barreres form an essential part of Menorca’s visual identity. Set among walls, paths and enclosures, they appear to emerge naturally from the surrounding landscape. They bring together local flora, the practical needs of farming and livestock keeping, and an artisanal knowledge acquired over time through experience and practice.

Keeping this craft alive in the twenty-first century presents a considerable challenge. It means more than preserving a technique: it means ensuring the continuity of a tradition and a way of using locally available resources, respecting the particular qualities of the material and creating useful objects that live in harmony with the land.

Where to find ullastre gates:

Arader de Menorca

FERRERIES · MENORCA

Wild Olive Gates · Traditional Woodcraft · Rural Furniture

Arader de Menorca is a traditional workshop in Ferreries specialising in the craft of working with native Menorcan wild olive wood. Its practice is rooted in the island’s rural heritage and in the creation of objects designed to live naturally within the landscape.

The workshop is best known for its traditional barreres d’ullastre: distinctive gates used to organise fields, enclose livestock and connect the paths and farmsteads of the Menorcan countryside. It also produces railings, balustrades, stools, tables, benches, tool handles and other functional pieces, working with the irregular forms and individual character of wild olive wood.