Alcúdia

Sister cities

• Ciutadella de Menorca

History

The area where Alcúdia is located has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, but it is with the arrival of the Romans that the city makes its entry into the history books. The Romans used the beaches of Alcúdia bay when they captured the island in 123 B.C. Shortly after this, the capital Palma de Mallorca was founded and then the city of Pollentia. From Pollentia, it was possible to view both the bay of Pollença and the bay of Alcúdia. Pollentia served as a guard against other invaders. After Rome lost its position as the dominant power in the western Mediterranean, Pollentia was attacked by pirates and several times by the Vandals. Finally, the city was abandoned, and the remaining population left to create a new town at a more protected location. This town became Pollença and the area where Pollentia stood was left to ruins. Alcúdia's name derives from al-kudja, Arabic for "on the hill"; referring to a Moorish farmstead created very close to where the ancient village of Pollentia had been. In 1229, the Moors were attacked by the King James I of Aragon, who occupied the area. In 1298, King James II of Aragon bought the farmstead Alcúdia and founded the new town. A church, a graveyard, a house for priests, and a square were created in the same year. The construction of the walls was also initiated at the same time and finished in 1362. The city plan that was made at the time remains the same for Alcúdia today. During the Renaissance, walls were reconstructed, and a second wall was constructed outside the first one. This wall has since been torn down and only details show where it once was. During the 16th century, pirates attacked the city several times. The population shrank, and there was from time to time a risk that the city would be abandoned totally. In 1779, a…

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2005-01-21
  4 km WNW of Vilafranca de Bonany, Spain
• M 2.5 — 2001-11-03
  39 km NW of Ciutadella, Spain
• M 3.8 — 2001-11-02
  38 km NW of Ciutadella, Spain
• M 2.5 — 2001-10-14
  51 km N of Port de Pollença, Spain