| It is believed that the current settlement of the city of Palma was originally occupied by a Talayotic people with strong links with the sea. It was later invaded by the Romans and then by the Arabs, who called it Madina Mayurqa, of which monumental remains can been seen, such as the Almudaina palace and the Arab baths.
In 1229 it was conquered by king Jaime I, who gave it a municipality that covered the whole island (which is why it was called Ciutat de Mallorca). The particular distribution of the city, crossed by a dry river, gave rise to the "Vila de Dalt" and the "Vila d'Avall" as centres of urban population located on either bank of the river.
Its privileged geographical location gave it intense trade with the towns of the Maghreb, the Italian estates and the domains of the Great Turk, which brought in a golden age for the city. In the ‘Lonja’ there was an active contracting market watched over by the Consolat de Mar, which assured respect for current legality in all commercial transactions.
In the 18th century, the Decreto de Nueva Planta of Felipe V modified the system of government of the whole island, making Palma de Mallorca the capital of the new province of the Balearic Islands, and it was in this century that Carlos III liberalised trade with the Indes and led Majorca to growth in the commercial and port activity of the city.
In the second half of the 20th century, the tourist phenomenon appeared and also changed the shape of the city and the whole island, making it a centre for visitors and sociological exchange of cultures.
What you must not miss:
• The Cathedral
• The Almudaina
• The Lonja
• Paseo del Borne
• Plaza de Cort
• Puig de San Pere
• Bellver Castle
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