History Of Palma

One-time home to the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks and Moors, Palma still retains evidence of its early people and settlements through striking monuments such as Castell de Bellver and Almudaina Palace.

Separate principalities

Palma was founded as two towns – an upper town, Vila de Dalt, and a lower town, Vila d'Avall – which are separated by the river. It was conquered by King Jaime I in 1229 and named Palma de Mallorca, a municipality that covered the island.

Palma saw big dividends through its geographical positioning on a useful harbour, which brought it much trade from the Italians and Turks early on in its history. The 15th century Gothic Llotja exchange remains a testament to this golden era.

Palmas Dark Ages

Like most rising European cities, Palma saw significant decline in the 16th century, mainly due to attacks from Turkish and Berber pirates and also through plague. This unfortunate period of decline lasted throughout the 16th and 17th centuries and it wasn’t until the 18th century that Felipe V’s implementing of the Decree of Nueva Planta changed the government and made Palma the capital of the Balearics. Later on, Carlos III established a free trade pact with the Indies, which also helped to turn the tide on Palma’s financial woes.

Nineteenth Century phoenix

Palma really took off in the 19th century after the French occupation of Algeria, which in turn stopped the Maghrebi attacks on Majorca. More and more sea traffic would follow and with it came much economic growth for Palma and Majorca. However, Palma’s biggest earner came in the 1950's with the realisation that the market for tourism was wide open and that Palma and Majorca had a lot to offer the holidaymaker.

Today, Majorca is one of Europe’s major holiday destinations, with many millions of tourists arriving here every year. Palma is a city of modern, glitzy shops and hotel chains, yet it still retains much of its original architecture and narrow streets of the Old Town, while the restored cathedral overlooks the harbour and stands proud in the centre of town.