Manacor
Encyclopedia
Manacor is a town and municipality
on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community
of the Balearic Islands
. It is one of the biggest municipalities in Majorca. It has tourist areas like Porto Cristo
, site of the famous Caves of Drach, and Calas de Mallorca. Manacor has one of the busiest street markets on the island, held every Monday morning. Manacor is famous for furniture manufacture and artificial pearls. It is a terminating station on the Majorca rail network
.
, either isolated or grouped in villages, which were used as living spaces (sa Marineta, s'Hospitalet Vell, etc.)
Of the megalithic Talaiot culture
, the most outstanding constructions are s'Hospitalet Vell, es Boc, Bellver, as well as the constructions of Bendrís, Son Sureda and Sa Gruta.
The origin of the town of Manacor goes back to the times before the Islamic dominance. The submarine discoveries of objects found in Porto Cristo show that it was a Roman port. The remains of the basilicas of sa Carrotja and son Peretó prove the existence of well-established Christian communities.
After the invasion launched by James I of Aragon
, Nuño Sánchez
received from him the land of Manacor. In 1300, James II
granted Manacor a statute of municipality. The Torre del Palau and the fortification of some rural houses like the Torre de ses Puntes and the Torre dels Enagistes have been preserved from the beginnings of town planning at Manacor. A native of Manacor, Simó Tort
, was a character in medieval social conflicts.
Saint Vincent Ferrer came to Manacor in 1414. In 1576 the convent dedicated to the saint was founded, and after this the construction of the baroque church began. At the beginning of the following century the construction of the cloister began.
In 1879 the railroad line from Inca
to Manacor was opened.
About 1890 the construction of the new parish church Nostra Senyora dels Dolors began, located on the same place as the former churches. The most ancient of them had been documented in 1232 and had possibly been built upon an Arab mosque. The bell tower of the present church, an emblem of the town, measures 75 metres.
In 1897 the first factory of artificial pearls, the famous Majorica, was founded. So Manacor became the business and industrial centre of Llevant. In 1912 Manacor received the title of town.
In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War
, there was an attempted landing of Republican forces in the shores of Porto Cristo that was repelled by the Nationalists.
s have favoured the appearance of caves. The most outstanding for their beauty are the Cavern of the Dragon
and the Fishhook Caves
.
A wide range of coves embellish the coast of Manacor: s'Illot, Cala Morlanda, Cala Petita, Porto Cristo
, Cala Anguila, Cala Mendia, s'Estany d'en Mas, Cala Falcó, Cala Varques, Cala Sequer, Cala Magraner, Cala Pilota, Cala Virgili, Cala Bota, Cala Antena, Cala Domingos and Cala Murada.
The climate is Mediterranean
. The average annual temperature is in between 16º - 17°C.
The forest area represents little more than 20% of the whole. Pine
forest is found in the mountainous areas but there are hardly any survivals of the indigenous holm-oak
woodlands.
The cultivated land represents 74% of the area. The agricultural landscape is characterized by almond trees
, cereals, fig trees, carob trees and vineyard. The cultivation of vegetables is focused on melon, pepper and lettuce.
The town of Manacor is crossed by the Sa Cabana stream. This stream flows into the Na Borges stream, the most important of the municipality.
(the largest).
The 19th century marked the beginning of the transformation of the town. The industrial activities dedicated to the processing of agricultural product increased; windmills and a liquor distillery appeared. From the second half of the century on the production of furniture became one of the basic industries of Manacor. Pottery and the production of liquors and wines also continued.
The factory of artificial pearls was very important during the 20th century.
From the 1960s, tourism was added to the development of the economic activity of the municipality.
Construction is an important sector, as well as commerce.
, the greater Demon and several smaller demons, on the eve of the 17 of January. They cross the streets performing a dance that represents the temptations to which the saint was submitted. At night bonfires are ignited. The group visit the several bonfires of the municipality. People sing and dance, and eat "llangonisses" and "botifarrons" (typical pork
products of the island).
On the following day are celebrated the "Beneïdes", a parade of floats and animals of all type. They are blessed because the saint is the patron of the animals.
Other fairs :
Fair of Saint James
, patron of Manacor, the 25 July, and the September Fair.
Els Moretons go out in May, by the Sant Domingo celebrations.
Nowadays, they open the Fires i Festes de Primavera.
. For this, they are passed through the branches of the tree, when the sun rises on the Saint John's Day, the 24th of June.
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
. It is one of the biggest municipalities in Majorca. It has tourist areas like Porto Cristo
Porto Cristo
Porto Cristo is a small town on the eastern coast of Mallorca. It is 10 minutes away from Manacor.-Tourism:Though not a primary tourist destination in Mallorca, the local council of Porto Cristo promotes the small town and new roads have been built between it and Manacor to encourage foreign visitors...
, site of the famous Caves of Drach, and Calas de Mallorca. Manacor has one of the busiest street markets on the island, held every Monday morning. Manacor is famous for furniture manufacture and artificial pearls. It is a terminating station on the Majorca rail network
Majorca rail network
The Majorca rail network on the Spanish Island of Majorca has three lines to four destinations from the Estació Intermodal/Plaça d'Espanya station in Palma.- TIB :...
.
History
The first indications of human occupation in the area of Manacor go back to 2000-1200 BC. Of this period are the artificial coves as burial places (cova de s'Homonet at Son Ribot, Mitjà de ses Beies at Sa Sínia Nova, etc.), and a type of construction similar to the navetaNaveta
A naveta is a megalithic chamber tomb unique to the Balearic island of Minorca. It dates to the early Bronze Age.It has two vertical and two corbelled walls giving it the form of an upturned boat which is where the name comes from....
, either isolated or grouped in villages, which were used as living spaces (sa Marineta, s'Hospitalet Vell, etc.)
Of the megalithic Talaiot culture
Talaiot
The talaiots, or talayots, are Bronze Age megaliths on the islands of Minorca and Majorca forming part of the Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period. They date from the late second millennium and early first millennium BC. There are at least 274 of them, in, near, or related to Talaiotic settlements...
, the most outstanding constructions are s'Hospitalet Vell, es Boc, Bellver, as well as the constructions of Bendrís, Son Sureda and Sa Gruta.
After the invasion launched by James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
, Nuño Sánchez
Nuño Sánchez
Nuño Sánchez was a Catalan nobleman and statesman.Nuño was the son of Sancho, Count of Provence, Roussillon, and Cerdagne, and Sancha Núñez of the House of Lara. His father was dispossessed of Provence in 1185 but maintained Roussillon and Cerdagne until his death in 1223, handing control of them...
received from him the land of Manacor. In 1300, James II
James II of Aragon
James II , called the Just was the King of Sicily from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. In 1297 he was granted the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica...
granted Manacor a statute of municipality. The Torre del Palau and the fortification of some rural houses like the Torre de ses Puntes and the Torre dels Enagistes have been preserved from the beginnings of town planning at Manacor. A native of Manacor, Simó Tort
Simó Ballester
Simó Ballester , nicknamed Simó Tort, was a leading figure in the social conflicts in Mallorca between the peasants and the privileged people of the city of Palma. He was a peasant and, according the historian J.M...
, was a character in medieval social conflicts.
Saint Vincent Ferrer came to Manacor in 1414. In 1576 the convent dedicated to the saint was founded, and after this the construction of the baroque church began. At the beginning of the following century the construction of the cloister began.
In 1879 the railroad line from Inca
Inca, Spain
Inca is a town on the Spanish island of Majorca. The population of the municipality is 25,900 in an area of 58.4 km².There is a junction station Majorca rail network with trains to Palma, the island's capital, to Sa Pobla, and to Manacor....
to Manacor was opened.
About 1890 the construction of the new parish church Nostra Senyora dels Dolors began, located on the same place as the former churches. The most ancient of them had been documented in 1232 and had possibly been built upon an Arab mosque. The bell tower of the present church, an emblem of the town, measures 75 metres.
In 1897 the first factory of artificial pearls, the famous Majorica, was founded. So Manacor became the business and industrial centre of Llevant. In 1912 Manacor received the title of town.
In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, there was an attempted landing of Republican forces in the shores of Porto Cristo that was repelled by the Nationalists.
Geography
The relief is not very pronounced. It takes in three areas: the flat region of the Pla, where the town of Manacor stands; the Serra de Llevant, characterised by its soft relief; and the Marina, which is formed by white gritty stone and inclines down to the sea. These limestone karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
s have favoured the appearance of caves. The most outstanding for their beauty are the Cavern of the Dragon
Cuevas del Drach
The Coves del Drach are four great caves that are located in the island of Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. They are in the municipality of Manacor, near the locality of Porto Cristo. The caves extend to a depth of 25 m, reaching 2.4 km in length. The four caves, called Black Cave,...
and the Fishhook Caves
Cuevas dels Hams
The Coves dels Hams are a Solutional cave system on the east coast of the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca. The caves are in the municipality of Manacor, about 1 kilometer to the west of the town of Porto Cristo....
.
Porto Cristo
Porto Cristo is a small town on the eastern coast of Mallorca. It is 10 minutes away from Manacor.-Tourism:Though not a primary tourist destination in Mallorca, the local council of Porto Cristo promotes the small town and new roads have been built between it and Manacor to encourage foreign visitors...
, Cala Anguila, Cala Mendia, s'Estany d'en Mas, Cala Falcó, Cala Varques, Cala Sequer, Cala Magraner, Cala Pilota, Cala Virgili, Cala Bota, Cala Antena, Cala Domingos and Cala Murada.
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
. The average annual temperature is in between 16º - 17°C.
The forest area represents little more than 20% of the whole. Pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forest is found in the mountainous areas but there are hardly any survivals of the indigenous holm-oak
Holm Oak
Quercus ilex, the Holm Oak or Holly Oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly...
woodlands.
The cultivated land represents 74% of the area. The agricultural landscape is characterized by almond trees
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
, cereals, fig trees, carob trees and vineyard. The cultivation of vegetables is focused on melon, pepper and lettuce.
The town of Manacor is crossed by the Sa Cabana stream. This stream flows into the Na Borges stream, the most important of the municipality.
Demographics
| Municipality | Population |
|---|---|
| 16th century | 5.000 approx. |
| 18th century | 7.000 approx. |
| Beginnings of 20th century | 13.000 approx. |
| Centers | Population 2005 |
|---|---|
| Manacor | 25.324 |
| Porto Cristo Porto Cristo Porto Cristo is a small town on the eastern coast of Mallorca. It is 10 minutes away from Manacor.-Tourism:Though not a primary tourist destination in Mallorca, the local council of Porto Cristo promotes the small town and new roads have been built between it and Manacor to encourage foreign visitors... |
6.385 |
| S'Illot-Cala Morlanda | 1.576 |
| Son Macià | 839 |
| Cales de Mallorca | 725 |
| Cala Murada | 624 |
| Cala Anguila-Cala Mendia | 296 |
| S'Estany den Mas | 139 |
| Total | 35.908 |
Economy
Until the 19th century the economy of Manacor was based on agriculture (cereals and vineyard) and livestock (sheep), although the textile and food sectors as well as pottery were important too. Although there are no longer the large estates that there were at that time, there are some that maintain their antique splendor, such as Santa Cirga and Es FangarEs Fangar
Es Fangar is the largest estate in the municipality of Manacor and one of the largest on the island. From the 15th century onwards it belonged to the Truiols family, Marquis de la Torre...
(the largest).
The 19th century marked the beginning of the transformation of the town. The industrial activities dedicated to the processing of agricultural product increased; windmills and a liquor distillery appeared. From the second half of the century on the production of furniture became one of the basic industries of Manacor. Pottery and the production of liquors and wines also continued.
The factory of artificial pearls was very important during the 20th century.
From the 1960s, tourism was added to the development of the economic activity of the municipality.
Construction is an important sector, as well as commerce.
Sant Antoni
The celebration begins with the exit of a group of disguised men of Saint AnthonyAnthony the Great
Anthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
, the greater Demon and several smaller demons, on the eve of the 17 of January. They cross the streets performing a dance that represents the temptations to which the saint was submitted. At night bonfires are ignited. The group visit the several bonfires of the municipality. People sing and dance, and eat "llangonisses" and "botifarrons" (typical pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
products of the island).
On the following day are celebrated the "Beneïdes", a parade of floats and animals of all type. They are blessed because the saint is the patron of the animals.
Fairs
The most important are the Fires i Festes de Primavera. They are celebrated from the end of May to the beginning of June. During these days, they are many activities and exhibitions. The celebrations close with a great parade of floats.Other fairs :
Fair of Saint James
Saint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
, patron of Manacor, the 25 July, and the September Fair.
Theatre
Manacor has an important theatre season, the Fira del Teatre de Manacor, usually in September.Moratons
This is a ritual dance of uncertain origin. It seems that was composed around the year 1855 with religious reasons, but it is possible that its origin goes back to 16th century. The clothes of the Moretons looked like those of Barbary pirates. When they dance, they hit wood pieces located in the hands, knees and abdomen.Cossiers
There are documents about this ritual dance from 18th century. The cossiers are a group of men who dance around a woman known as "The Lady". They wear hat and coloured clothes.Nowadays, they open the Fires i Festes de Primavera.
Vimer
This has been a legend for more than 100 years. The vimer (Salix viminalis) is a willow located in s'hort des Correu, a country house in the outskirts of the town of Manacor. The legend says that the tree can heal children with herniaHernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
. For this, they are passed through the branches of the tree, when the sun rises on the Saint John's Day, the 24th of June.
Sports
In addition to the main sports, soccer and basketball, Manacor has horse racing fans and there are chariot races at the hippodrome. Manacor is also the birthplace and home town of former World Tennis number 1 Rafael NadalRafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
.
Natives of Manacor
- Antoni Maria Alcover
- Miguel Ángel NadalMiguel Ángel NadalMiguel Ángel Nadal Homar is a retired Spanish footballer and current coach.Nicknamed The Beast, Nadal based his game in a tremendous physical display, also being adaptable to various defender and midfielder positions....
- Elena GómezElena GómezElena Gómez Servera is a Spanish artistic gymnast. She is the 2002 World Champion on the floor exercise, where she was the only gymnast to perform a quadruple turn , and the first-ever Spanish female gymnast to win the World title...
- Luis Ladaria
- Rafael NadalRafael NadalRafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
- Arnau Riera
- Albert RieraAlbert RieraAlbert Riera Ortega is a Spanish footballer who plays for Galatasaray SK in Turkey, as a left winger.He made a name for himself at Espanyol , and also played professionally in France, England and Greece.Riera gained 16 caps for Spain, representing...