Prehistory and pre-Roman people

Archaeological research at Atapuerca indicates the Iberian Peninsula was peopled many ago. Modern humans began arriving in the Iberian Peninsula through the Pyrenees. The best known artifacts of these prehistoric human settlements are the famous paintings in the Altamira cave of Cantabria in northern Spain.

Archaeological and genetic evidence strongly suggests that the Iberian Peninsula acted as one of three major refugia from which northern Europe was vastly repopulated following the end of the last ice age.

The two main historical peoples of the peninsula were the Iberians and the Celts, the former inhabiting the Mediterranean side from the northeast side to the southwest, the latter inhabiting the Atlantic side, in the north and northwest part of the peninsula. In the most inner part of the peninsula, where both groups were in contact, a mixed, distinctive culture, known as Celtiberian, was present.

In addition, Basques occupied the western area of the Pyrenees. Other ethnic groups existed along the southern coastal areas of Andalusia. Among these southern groups there grew the earliest urban culture in the Iberian Peninsula, that of the semi-mythical southern city of Tartessos (pre-1100 BC) near the location of Cádiz. The flourishing trade in gold and silver between the people of Tartessos and Phoenicians and Greeks is documented in the history of Strabo and in the biblical book of king Solomon.

Between 500 BC and 300 BC, the seafaring Phoenicians and Greeks founded trading colonies all along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Carthaginians took control of much of the Mediterranean coast in the course of the Punic Wars, until they were eventually replaced by the Romans.

Roman Empire and the Germanic Kingdoms: During the Second Punic War, an expanding Roman Empire captured the Carthaginian trading colonies along the Mediterranean coast from roughly 210 BC to 205 BC, leading to Roman control of almost the entire Iberian Peninsula; this lasted over 500 years, and they were bound together by law, language, and the Roman roads.

The base Celt and Iberian population remained, and local leaders were admitted into the Roman aristocratic class. Hispania served as a granary for the Roman market, and its harbours were used to export gold, wool, olive oil, and wine.

About Palma

Palma, The Jewel of the Mediterranean. Palma is being touted as the new Barcelona. It was recently voted Spain’s best place to live and is a wonderfully cosmopolitan city.

The Old town is a maze of alleyways and hidden courtyards and the visitor can get lost for hours among the boutiques, coffee shops and picturesque squares. One essential attraction is the magnificent gothic cathedral, with Gaudi having worked on the interior, it is a magnificent spectacle.

Property in Palma has risen significantly over the last few years, with the Old Town, Santa Catalina, Portixol and the Paseo Maritimo being the most popular places to buy.

Recent history

The fall of Barcelona in 1714 signalled the end of the Spanish Succession War and this was reflected on the Decretos de Nueva Planta, which modified the government of the island and separated it from the government of Palma, which became the official city name. In the 18th century Charles III of Spain removed restriction of commerce with Spanish colonies in America and the port and commercial activities of the city grew again.

In the 19th century, Palma became the refuge of many who had exiled themselves from the Napoleonic occupations. In this period, freedom flourished. With the establishment of the Spanish state administrative organisation, Palma became the capital of the newly formed province of Balearic Islands in 1833. The French occupation of Algeria ended the fear of Maghrebi attacks, which encouraged the expansion of new maritime routes, and the economic growth of the city expanded quickly.