FINCA AUTÉNTICA POSSESSIONS, MANOR HOUSES & COUNTRY ESTATES
Rolf Herbert Zscharnack, founder of Finca Auténtica, in front of a historic Mallorcan finca

Rolf Herbert Zscharnack

More than forty years of Mallorca. Over twenty-five of them at home on the island.

Founder of Finca Auténtica, specialised in possessions, manor houses and country estates — the houses that have always been, for me, the most beautiful part of the island.

THE BEGINNING

It began with
a ruin

In 1957, my great-uncle — my grandmother's brother — bought a ruined finca on Mallorca and restored it over several years. In those days, that took patience: materials, craftsmen and comfort were not as easy to come by as they are today.

I first came to visit him as a five-year-old, with my grandparents and my mother. From the age of nineteen I returned two or three times every year — and that is how I came to know the island, long before most people discovered it. I fell in love with Mallorca then, and with its old houses most of all.

Years later, I inherited his finca. After so many decades it was time for a complete restoration, and I brought it up to date while keeping the character he had given it. It taught me first-hand what it means to take care of a historic house.

FOUR DECADES

A life with the island

1957 My great-uncle buys a ruined finca on Mallorca and restores it over the following years.
1970s A first visit as a five-year-old, with my grandparents and my mother.
1980s–90s From the age of nineteen, two or three visits every year — the beginning of a lifelong attachment to the island.
2000 In the spring, I make Mallorca my home.
Since then Galleries of my own, the restoration of houses on the island, an agency letting around a hundred holiday homes — and more than eight years in the property market of Mallorca and Ibiza.
Today Finca Auténtica — dedicated to possessions, manor houses and country estates.
EXPERIENCE

What I bring to every search

My path to these houses was not a straight one — and that is precisely what shapes the way I work today.

An eye for houses Twenty years as an advertising photographer taught me to see light, proportion and detail — and to recognise quality at first glance.
A feeling for craft Years of running my own galleries sharpened my sense for art, materials and the work of the hand.
Restoration, first-hand I have bought and restored houses on the island myself — I know what a restoration really involves, and what it is worth.
Relationships Four decades on Mallorca have brought me close to owners, families and the island's best professionals — the contacts that open doors.
WHY THESE HOUSES

“Modern houses and villas have their own appeal. But my heart has always belonged to the old fincas and the great historic estates — their generous rooms, their high ceilings, and the history you can feel in every corner.”

I have watched Mallorca change over four decades. Much has become more comfortable, some things have been lost — and the authentic estates have become rarer and more precious. To find them the right owners is, for me, the most rewarding work on the island.

Grand salon of a historic Mallorcan manor house with timber-beamed ceiling, chandelier, old paintings and terracotta floor
NETWORK

Trusted people around every sale

Over the years I have built a long-standing network of experienced, independent professionals — lawyers, architects, specialists in international tax law, craftsmen and estate managers. Buyer and seller are always represented by their own lawyers; where further expertise is needed, I can introduce the right people.

I work personally with every client, in English, German and Spanish.

Stone arches opening onto the courtyard of a historic palacio on Mallorca
LET US TALK

Whether you are looking for a historic estate or considering the sale of your own — I look forward to meeting you.

PRIVATE ENQUIRY FOR OWNERS