Overview

The town, Ciutadella de Menorca or Ciutadella means Citadel; this is a municipality situated to the west of Menorca which is one of the Balearic Islands in Spain. This is situated at a distance of 45 KM from Mahón. The population of this town is about 24000. This town has two distinct parts – old part with Gothic style and modern part.

The City of Ciutadella was formerly the capital of Menorca and is its cultural and commercial center. Many people are surprised by the culture, history and nightlife in this town. Ciutadella is looked upon as a Guardian of Traditions; however it still remains a busy metropolis. You will find that the view of the harbor is highly fascinating.

History

It was founded originally by the Carthaginians and in the 4th century itself it was the seat of a Bishop. It was ruled by Moors for hundreds of years under the names Madina al Manurqa and Madina al Jazira and it was captured by Alfonso II during reconquista and made a part of Crown of Aragon. This was a very important trading center in the middle ages.

This town was put under siege in July 1558 by the Turks – Piyale Pasha and Tugut Reis and it was destroyed within 8 days. About 3100 inhabitants of this town were taken as slaves and sold in Istanbul slave markets.

Climate

The maximum and minimum average temperatures in this city are 26 °C in July-August and 11 °C in December.

Art and Culture

During the 17th century, a number of religious and civil buildings were constructed in this town based on Italian architecture. It is worthwhile to visit the old town where the town hall is located; this hall was originally an Arab Governor’s palace and later on was the royal palace under Aragonese.

The following are the monuments that are of interest in this town:

1.Cathedral Menorca – was built in the 14th century with Gothic architecture.

2.Prehistoric artifacts municipal museum.

3.Old Town – containing remains of Arabic and medieval times.

4.Alfonso III Plaza.

5.Cathedral Plaza.

6.The Town Hall – that was a palace belonging to Alfonso III.

7.Archeological Museum.

Cuisine

Main dishes that you can get in this town are made from lobster, fish, noodles, sausage and seafood soup.

Sports and Entertainment

The Menorcan coast is full of unbelievable small coves; some of the best beaches such as Algaiarens, La Vall, Cala Blanca, Cala Bosch, Cala Morell, etc. lie along this coast. You will see a network of caves near the town Ciutadella.

Shopping

Popular shopping items in this town are spicy sausage, cheese, shoes, accessories, etc.