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Ciutadella
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Like Mao,
CIUTADELLA
sits high above its harbour. Here, though, navigation is far more difficult, up a narrow channel too slender for all but the smallest of cargo ships. Despite this nautical inconvenience, Ciutadella has been the island's capital for most of its history. The Romans chose it, the Moors adopted it as
Medina Minurka
, and the Catalans of
la reconquista
flattened the place and began all over again. In 1558, the Catalan-built town was, in its turn, razed by Turkish corsairs. Several thousand captives were carted off to the slave markets of Istanbul, but the survivors determinedly rebuilt Ciutadella in grand style, its compact, fortified centre brimming with the mansions of the rich. To the colonial powers of the eighteenth century, however, Ciutadella's feeble port had no appeal when compared with Mao's magnificent inlet. In 1722 the British moved the capital to Mao, which has flourished as a trading centre ever since, and Ciutadella stagnated - a long-lasting economic reverie that has, fortunately, preserved its old and beautiful centre as if in aspic. The bulk of the Menorcan aristocracy remained in Ciutadella, where the colonial powers pretty much left them to stew - an increasingly redundant, landowning class far from the wheels of mercantile power. Consequently, there's very little British or French influence in Ciutadella's
architecture
; instead, the narrow, cobbled streets boast fine old palaces, hidden away behind high walls, and a set of Baroque and Gothic churches very much in the Spanish tradition.
Essentially, it's the whole architectural ensemble that gives Ciutadella its appeal rather than any specific sight, and that, together with some excellent restaurants and an adequate supply of
hostales
and hotels, makes this a lovely place to stay. Allow at least a couple of days, more if you seek out one of the beguiling cove beaches within easy striking distance of town:
Cala Turqueta
is the pick of the bunch. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Spain,
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