Everyone likes lists so here’s our “Dalt Vila, Ibiza Top 10″. There is also a full article about Dalt Vila on the main website.
1. Dominican monastery
The Dominican friars first arrived on Ibiza in 1580. Twelve years later, in 1592, they started building the monastery and the church, which were not completed until the middle of the 17th century. The construction was overseen by the same Genovese master builder who was responsible for the stately buildings and the new Can Botino town hall.
In 1835, the Dominican monks were forced to leave the monastery due to Mendizabal’s secularisation of church property. The monastery
was converted into the town hall of Eivissa in 1838.
2. L’Hospitalet church
The name of this church recalls the hospice that once stood here and is mentioned in medieval documents. Today, the church acts as a kind of museum for contemporary art where artists - most of them local - exhibit their work. In the 17th century, the bishop of Tarragona ordered a complete remodelling of the existing building. The new phase of construction started in 1708.
The church consists of a single nave with barrel vaults and a converging apse. The facade is decorated with a small alcove and a rosette. The path along the top of the defending walls offers marvellous views over the sea to Formentera, over the city and to the green hills
3. Isidor Macabich
Everyone knows the street in Ibiza Town that bears his name - but who exactly was this person? Isidor Macabich i Llobet (Eivissa, 1883-1973) was one of the most prominent people on Ibiza’s cultural scene in the 20th century. The cathedral canon and archivist is particularly remembered for his work as a historian and documentalist. This highly trained and versatile native of Ibiza was also active as a journalist, poet and teacher.
4. El Salvador chapel
There is very little left of the chapel built by the fishermen’s guild back in the 14th century. It is no longer possible to gaze in awe at its gothic architecture. The only things that have survived to the present day are a window rosette and a statue of Jesus Christ. Today, the building is home to the archaeological museum.
5. Can Botino
In 2006, public funds were used to completely restore the 17th century building in Carrer Santa Maria. Back then, Italian merchants commissioned Genovese architects to construct this imposing town house that today houses the offices of the Eivissa city administration. Can Botino was originally two storeys high, but a third floor was added two years ago when the building was being renovated.
6. Sant Ciriac chapel
Every child on Ibiza knows the historical significance of the 8th August 1235. This was the day that the Catalan army conquered the Arabs who inhabited the fortified town of Dalt Vila. This signalled the end of Moorish rule on Ibiza. Just by chance, the date coincided with St. Ciriac’s Day, who was elected as the city’s patron saint in 1650.
A century later, the city had a small chapel built in his honour in the small alley named after him. Legend says that this marks the spot where the Christian army managed to penetrate the defences of the fortified city.
7. Convento de Ses Monges Tancades
The heyday of the Augustinian nuns who established the convent in 1600 is now nothing more than a memory. Today, these old walls are home to no more than half a dozen nuns.
After the convent was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, it was rebuilt and restored to its original state. The nuns only ever leave the convent on Sundays - when they go to the cathedral to sing songs of praise.
8. Fortifications/Almudaina
When the Moors ruled over the island, the upper half of Dalt Vila was the most fortified section of the hill. This is where the Almudaina was located, a fortification that also acted as the rulers’ city headquarters. When the Catalans conquered the city, the eastern part of the Almudaina was transformed into a mighty fortification that again housed the local governor. The state owned chain of luxury hotels, Paradores, will be opening the first hotel of its kind on the Balearic Islands in the Almudaina. Recent reports indicate that expensive renovation work is set to start early next year. The hotel will not be completed before 2011.
9. Cathedral
The first religious building erected by the Catalans after conquering the island was the church of Santa Maria, now the island’s cathedral. During the 14th century, the church was extended by adding a gothic-style apse with a series of small chapels. A bell tower was also added, as well as a vestry adjoining the nave. In the 16th century, the side chapels were added. The church was fully restored between 1712 and 1727 when its characteristic baroque elements were added.
10. Bishop’s palace
After the cathedral was built, the Catalan conquerors started work to provide decent housing for its clergymen. The beginning of the 15th century saw the construction of what was to become the bishop’s palace, the Palacio Episcopal. When Ibiza became a bishop’s see in 1782, the building was signifi cantly remodelled. Extensions were later made to add an extra storey to the top of the building.
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