No More Gold For Franco
Last Monday, the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco was finally stripped of the honours that on February 20th, 1946, had been bestowed on him, here in Mallorca. At that time, the […]
The Castell de Santueri
I have lamented before on this blog the sorry state that the Castell de Santueri near Felanitx finds itself in. Even though undertakings have been given by the Govern Balear […]
The Parlament de les Illes Balears
Democracy in Spain is a very recent occurrence. After the death of the ruler for near-on 40 years, Francisco Franco, a Spanish constitution was declared and implemented in 1978. With […]
The Ley de la Memoria Histórica
During a recent visit to Campos I discovered that the Spanish Ley de la Memoria histórica (Historical Memory Law) is, slowly but surely, being taken seriously in some small ways. […]
The Crucero Baleares Monument
The controversial monument in Palma’s Plaça de Sa Feixina in memory of the sinking of the battleship Baleares has undergone a complete renovation. The heavy cruiser Baleares (photo centre) was […]
A State of Emergency?
You may be aware that the Spanish government declared an Estado de Alarma (State of Emergency) one week ago in connection with an unofficial walk-out by Spain’s air traffic controllers. […]
The Forgotten War
Boats in Spain and elsewhere often have names that tell a story. Often it is the tale of a loving relationship, often a symbol of pomp or showiness, often no […]
Time’s Up
It was time’s up for Gordon Brown yesterday, but also for some of Generalissimo Franco‘s heraldic emblems in Palma de Mallorca. Of course, there is no relation between the two […]
The Oratori de Santa Creu
The Oratori de Santa Creu, just outside Porreres, is a small chapel dating from the 18th century. The oratory is also known by the name of Ermita de la Santa […]
Freemasonry In Spain
Last weekend, the Gran Logia de España, the largest Spanish freemasonry lodge, celebrated their annual meeting in Mallorca. For three days, Palma de Mallorca turned into something of a capital […]
Franco’s Coat Of Arms Is Erased
The monument in the Parc de La Feixina with its origins in the Spanish Guerra Civil has now been cleared of its, for some, provocative inscriptions and in particular, its […]
Viva España
The large monument in Palma’s Plaça de Sa Feixina has been controversial for some time (see my blog entry dated January 25th, 2008). The huge column is a kind of […]
Sharpening The Knives
Mallorca has moved rapidly into the 21st century, away from the 1950s when the island was a rural society and pretty impoverished. The Illes Balears were amongst Spain’s poorest regions […]
The Battle of Mallorca
Seventy-three years ago today, the Battle of Mallorca began, an attempt by the government of the Spanish Second Republic to take the island back from the putschists. Twenty days later […]
The Obelisk Of Shame
The Plaça Porta de Santa Catalina in Palma de Mallorca is a nice and quiet square just as one gets to the Baluard de Sant Pere, now the seat of […]
The Civil War Ended 70 Years Ago
Seventy years ago today, the end of the Guerra Civil in Spain was declared. The Civil War devastated this country. A war, often between brothers or cousins, raged in Spain […]
The Mallorca Photo Blog 