Mallorca History History of Majorca Spain Email; info@apartmentspain.co.uk |
Welcome to Mallorca / Majorca History
The Majorca / Mallorca history is interesting and is showed in many museums, monuments and buildings across the island! So there are lots of places for you to learn more about the historical background of Majorca and the other Balearic Islands.
Evidence of other people to settle on Mallorca has been found and includes findings of tools made from animal horns and pottery that are from around 1000 BC. Other evidence to prove this time is in the towers shaped like cones (Talayots). They are a periodical feature for around this time. They are sited in the south of the island at capocorp vell. These were named The Carthaginians.
The Next people thought to arrive were Greek and Phoenician traders. This is where it is thought that the name Balearic came from ballein, which is the Greek word for sling throwing! The Carthaginians worked in conjunction with the sling throwers to fend off the Romans over time, until the Romans eventually took control in around 123 BC.
Mallorcans were to ask, 'and what have the Romans ever done for us?'. The answer would be that they built the first towns and roads and also introduced Christianity to the region along with its first civil structures.
In the tenth century the island began 300 years of Moorish rule after the Emirate of Cordoba assumed power. Mallorca had a very contrasting 300 years in these times, as holy battles for power would commence between Muslim's and Christians. Eventually, however, due to the considered location of the island between Islamic Spain and Africa, trade flourished, as did agriculture.
In 1229 King Jaume I of Aragon and Catalunya invaded the island of Mallorca. The Mallorcan Emirate stole his ships and this enraged him. Moorish buildings were destroyed and with this he set up an independent Kingdom of Mallorca. He built the Palma Cathedral. He was a very good governor. Well ahead of his time he would do all he could to assist traders in the region as well as give equal rights regardless of religious beliefs. After he died King Jaume left Mallorca along with some of his other provinces to his son Jaume II. Pedro IV of Aragon landed in Mallorca in 1349. He was jealous of Jaume II and so claimed control of the island for himself.
Mallorca's traditional language up to the 18th century had been Catalan. This was then replaced with the Castilian variation of Spanish. However during the Napoleonic wars Mallorca still saw more than its fair share of Catalan speaking refugees. 19th century life on the island of Mallorca was a tough time for the island with Famines and droughts throughout the century. As the island saw advancements agriculturally along with a new rail network and increased communication with Spain there was a feeling of revival of the Catalan culture.
Mass tourism to the region and to Mallorca really started to kick off in the 1950's. More recently Mallorca sees around about 10 million tourists per year. The local economy is booming with locals and residents among the most well off in Spain. However around a fifth of the property is foreign owned and the large resort developments have in places ruined the islands natural beauty (everything comes at a cost).
Mallorca Tourism site map |
Mallorca History
History of Majorca Spain