Ciutadella de Menorca
Ciutadella (Spanish: Ciudadela) is town on the western side of Minorca.
History
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Originally founded by the Carthaginians and was already the seat of a bishop in the 4th century. After being governed by the Moors under the names of Madina al Jazira and Madina al Manurqa for several centuries, Ciutadella was recaptured during the reconquista by men serving Alfonso II and became part of the Crown of Aragon. During the Middle Ages, it became an important trading center.
In 1558, the Turks under Barbarossa entered and decimated the city.
Religion
Despite no longer being Minorca's capital, Ciutadella has remained the island's religious center. The festival of Saint John, its patron saint, takes place each year on the 23 & 24 of June. Its cathedral was built on the foundation of an older mosque.
Culture and Landmarks
In the 17th century, many beautiful civil and religious buildings were built in the Italian style there and give Ciutadella a historical and artistic unity.
Worth seeing is the old town. Ciutadella's town hall is the former palace of the Arab governor and later served as a royal palace under the Aragonese and again as a governor's palace until the British moved the capital to the eastern town of Mahon in 1722.
The former capital of the island is now known for its medieval charm. Ciutadella is considered a "Guardian of Traditions", while at the same time remaining one of the two bustling metropolises of Minorca. Its harbor is a very picturesque and lies on deep bay.
Demographics
Ciutadella has a population of 26,972 inhabitants living in an area of 186 km² at a density of 124 people per square kilometer.
References
- The information in this article is based on a translation of its German equivalent.
