Ciutadella

Ciutadella was Minorca's capital before the British settled in Mahón, and its history is richer. Settled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Cathaginians, and Romans, Ciutadella fell to the Moors in 903 and became a part of the Caliphate of Córdoba until 1287, when it was reconquered by Alfonso III of Aragon. He gave estates in Ciutadella to nobles who aided him in the battle, and to this day the town has a distinctively aristocratic tone. In 1558 a Turkish armada laid siege to Ciutadella, burning the city and enslaving its inhabitants. It was later rebuilt, but never quite regained its former stature.