The system used to distribute the land was called cavalleries, in which the land was divided into domains or fiefs. There was a total of 17 cavalleries, each with a surface of some 1,000 hectares – the area that could be tilled by fifteen pairs of oxen in a single day. The new owners, who were the king's serfs and vassals, were obliged to own a horse (a cavall – hence the name of these properties), have a standing armed force to repel attacks, and grow crops on only 10% of the total assigned land. These families and their descendants formed the nobility or aristocracy of the island society.

After the transformation of the tramuntana territory, which had been known as Es Martinell since medieval times, the area remained virtually unchanged until the 19th century, because these large farmsteads were handed down over the generations to a sole heir (traditionally the first-born son). The custom, known as s'hereu, has been maintained in Minorca , particularly among the great families. That is why many of the properties whose origin dates back to King Alphonse III's time continue to bear the names of the medieval cavalleries – S'Alairó, Son Picart, Sa Cavalleria, Binidonaire,…

A stable was established on the premises of the Ecomuseum (Es Martinell), giving its name (cavalleria) to the property and the surrounding territory.