Pollença

History

The origin of the name "Pollença" can be traced back to the name of the Roman settlement of Pollentia, the excavated remains of which lie several kilometers away, at the modern municipality of Alcúdia. The displacement of the toponym is due to the fact that, during Late Antiquity, the city of Pollentia became depopulated, but the name remained to designate the region. In the Islamic period, the capital of the district, called Bullansa, was located in the place where, centuries later, the town of Pollença would be founded. Throughout its history, Pollença was a site of significant military confrontations, due to its prominent geographical position, some from the coast, in an effort to avoid pirate attacks. It witnessed the battles of the Christian conquest and the expedition of King James I of Aragon, and also became the last stand of King James III of Majorca. After the Conquest of Majorca, the Order of the Temple and other magnates acquired lands in Pollença, which later passed to the Order of Saint John in 1312. The population grew rapidly until the Black Plague of 1349. Pollença was a key site in military conflicts, such as the Christian conquest and the struggles between the kings of Mallorca and Aragon. During the Revolt of the Brotherhoods, Pollença aligned with the rebels, but in 1522 it was brutally suppressed by the royal army on the day known as the "Day of the Devastation." During the 15th and 16th centuries, Pollença also had to face pirate attacks. In 1534, the people of Pollença repelled a landing in Formentor; in 1537, they ambushed a group of Saracen corsairs who had disembarked at Cala Estremer. However, the events of 1550 stand out, when the Turkish corsair Dragut occupied the town with 1,500 men. The people of Pollença, led by Joan Mas,…

Most-observed species

• Sardinian Warbler

  Curruca melanocephala (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  8,059
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  7,701
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,325
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  6,618
• Yellow-legged Gull

  Larus michahellis J.F.Naumann, 1840 · Aves
  6,202
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  6,172
• European Goldfinch

  Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,594
• Little Egret/Western Reef-Heron

  Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,504

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