Ciutadella, the most
western in the populations of the island, were the capital of Menorca until the
English dominance. Today , it continues being the
ecclesiastical capital, because the Cathedral of Menorca and the headquarters of the
bishopric is in it, besides the palaces and elegant houses that are not in the other towns
of the island. Until final of the XIX century, the city conserved the medieval wall that
protected it of the attacks of the Turkish pirates. You can still see part of the old wall
in Bastiķ de Sa Font and in the City council. A fact that marked the
history of Ciutadella was the destruction of the city the 9-7-1558 for the pirates
that passed to knife hundreds of people and they were taken as slaves more
than 3.500. A shaft in the square of the Born remembers the tragic fact and the valiant
defense of los ciutadellencs.
Going for a walk to the old part
of Ciutadella, the narrow streets, of pavement of stone that are illuminated with
the whiteness of the humble whitewashed houses or the splendor of the stone of the elegant
houses, are an unavoidable appointment for the visitor. The commercial center has
numerous establishments wich are perfectly integrated in their environment of palaces and
old back streets.
The port of Ciutadella, wich you arrive to by the Marina street
(beside the City council), is one of the most beautiful from the Mediterranean. Safe
-to the moment - of the speculation, its capacity overflows in summer but perhaps in
it resides it its main attractiveness. The calm with which lapses the day in Baixamar (as
is known by ciutadellencs) contrasts with the bustle of the terraces of the
restaurants for the night and the amusement of Sant Joan's Pla, pubs
and discos area that is prolonged until last hours of the dawn.
Ciutadella is famous also for Sant
Joan's fiestas (San Juan) that they take place the 23 and 24 of June and little
has to envy the Fallas of Valencia or the Sanfermines, although here the center of the
party is the horse, instead of the fire or the bulls. From Mallorca and Barcelona
thousands of young people arrive willing to enjoy the two more intense days
of the summer.
