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Minorca History

Throughout Minorca’s history its rule has changed hands a number of times through a series of colonisers. Its routes trace back to periods before Christ was born and has influences such as the Minoans and other Mediterranean groups.

In the early years BC, after the Punic Wars, there was an increase in piracy in the region as the Mediterranean served as a major trade route. Pirates used the Balearic Islands as a base from which to loot passing ships and so the Romans placed an army there in order to stem the criminal activities. It was in 121 BC that the island had fallen under total Roman control as part of the province of Hispania Citerior. After the Roman period of rule the Vandals took control in the fifth century.

Then, in 903, Minorca was annexed by the Caliphate of Cordoba and renamed Manurqa. The year 1287 saw an Aragonese invasion under the rulership of Alfonso III and the day on which it was completed – January 17 – is still marked today as the island’s national day. Unfortunately, this brought about a period of poor treatment of Muslims as the new rulers sought to remove them from the region. And so until 1344 the island was part of the Kingdom of Mallorca.

In the 16th century the Mediterranean saw a further bout of increased piracy and some naval attacks from the Turkish. At this time the capital city was Ciutadella. The island took another turn in 1708 when it was captured by the British as part of the War of Spanish Succession and the capital city was moved to Mahon. The following years brought about a changing of hands – the French, British and Spanish all took turns at ruling, until in 1802 it was finally given over to the Spanish for good.

During the Civil War in the 20th century Minorca remained loyal to the Republican government and so received levels of bombing from the nationalist army. Finally, in 1993, the island was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in order to protect it from the destruction of developers.
 

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