Ciutadella

After spending time exploring Mahón, we decided to visit the other side of Menorca and took the bus across the island to Ciutadella, the former capital.

Today, Mahón is the capital of Menorca, but that hasn’t always been the case. For centuries, Ciutadella was the political and administrative centre of the island, it was also the home of Menorca’s nobility and the seat of the bishop.

Ciutadella’s importance goes back further than the medieval period, there were settlements here long before the arrival of the Romans. During the Muslim period it became an important administrative centre, and after the Christian conquest in 1287, it continued as the capital of Menorca.

It remained the capital until the eighteenth century, when the British took control of the island. In 1722, the British governor transferred the courts and government offices from Ciutadella to Mahón. Mahón’s large natural harbour made it strategically and commercially attractive to the British.

We arrived in Ciutadella and set off to explore the old capital for ourselves, walking along shady tree lined streets and squares towards the old city.

Ciutadella was once a heavily fortified medieval city, and although much of the original defensive wall has disappeared, sections of the old fortifications can still be seen.

The walls separated the medieval city from the harbour and were an important part of its defence. The position of Ciutadella, right at the western end of Menorca, meant that the town had to protect itself from frequent attacks arriving by sea.

From the elevated old town there are lovely views down towards Ciutadella’s harbour. The narrow inlet stretching out towards the Mediterranean was lined with boats. The harbour is very different from the enormous natural harbour at Mahón. Here, the water comes into a much narrower and shallow channel, with the old city rising above it.

The city experienced many attacks over the years. One of the most dramatic periods in Ciutadella’s history came in 1558, when an Ottoman fleet attacked. Ciutadella was captured and badly damaged, and thousands of its inhabitants were killed or taken into slavery.

The event is still remembered today, particularly by the tall Obelisco des Born, commemorating the city’s defence during this devastating attack. The monument, surrounded by fountains, stands in the centre of Plaça des Born, the grand main square in the heart of the old city.

The square was once the parade ground of the medieval fortified city. It is still very impressive surrounded by some of Ciutadella’s most important historic buildings. The Town Hall, the magnificent Torre-Saura Palace, other grand former aristocratic houses and the Teatre des Born all stand around the square.

The huge neoclassical façade of the grand Palacio del Condado de Torre-Saura dominates one side of Plaça des Born, with its impressive arched loggias, columns, statues and elaborate decoration.

In the centre is the large entrance for carriages, topped by the family’s coat of arms which is carved with figures and symbols representing the various families from which the Torre-Saura lineage descended. Above the building are decorative urns and statues, adding even more grandeur to an already imposing building.

The other façade, on Carrer Major des Born, is more restrained but has a mysterious veiled face. There are various stories about its meaning, including one suggestion that it represents hospitality, welcoming visitors without judging who they are.

The palace is a reminder of the wealth and influence of Ciutadella’s old aristocratic families. The Torre-Saura title was created in 1818, and the present palace was extensively rebuilt from 1839, transforming the earlier family residence into a grand building. It remained the ancestral home of the Torre-Saura family for 177 years, from 1818 until 1995.

It was open to look around and the interior is just as impressive as the outside. There are huge reception rooms with high ceilings, elaborate decoration, period furniture and enormous chandeliers, as well as bedrooms and private rooms. The scale and decoration give an impression of how the island’s aristocratic families lived when Ciutadella was still at the centre of Menorca’s social and political life.

Then we met this fierce looking resident. I wondered why they felt it necessary for the sign, who would want to?

The palace has welcomed some important visitors over the years. The Throne Room was hastily prepared with a simple throne beneath a canopy, for an unexpected visit of Queen Isabella II in 1860. Her ship was bound for the Port of Mahón but bad weather forced it in to Ciutadella. The throne has remained turned towards the wall ever since as a sign that it is forbidden to be used.

There are also bedrooms and more personal rooms, which were interesting as they give glimpses into the everyday routine of the people who lived there.

Outside, the peaceful courtyard and balcony’s gave views over the Plaça des Born, the busy side street and harbour.

After a look in the underground stables, which was a little spooky as they came complete with the disembodied sound of horses, we made our way through the carriage rooms.

After visiting the palace we continued our wander through the narrow medieval streets. This revealed a mixture of simple traditional houses and much grander buildings, with beautiful old doorways, stone façades, little squares and impressive palaces appearing around unexpected corners.

The Cathedral of Santa María de Ciutadella is situated right in the heart of the former medieval walled city.

The Gothic cathedral dates mainly from the 13th and 14th centuries following the Christian conquest in 1287. It was built on the site of an earlier mosque, reflecting the changes in religion and political control that Menorca has experienced over the centuries.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t look inside as a wedding was about to take place.

However, plenty of walking had worked up an appetite and we found a lovely restaurant, which was housed in the vaulted basement of one of the cities old palaces. Here we settled down to enjoy the wonderful Spanish custom of ‘Menu del dia’ whilst admiring the character of the historic building. It was the perfect way to finish a day spent wandering through centuries of history.

Eventually it was time to make our way back to the bus station to return to Mahón.

It had been a fascinating day, particularly because we’d now seen both sides of Menorca’s history. Mahón, the modern capital with its enormous natural harbour, and Ciutadella, the ancient capital with an antiquated charm, narrow streets, grand palaces and centuries of history packed into a relatively small area.