Culture of Ibiza Island. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

In public perception, Ibiza now is inseparably connected to parties, discos, and permissiveness but the fans of history will like it here as well. Despite poverty and desolation, which came here in the 20th century, before that this place had burst with life for more than two thousand years. Ibiza is unique, as it was the only place, where the Roman culture coexisted more or less peacefully with the Punic culture. The historians suggest that no earlier than seven centuries before Christ, the citizens of Carthage brought here their deceased. They gave this place particular importance, as there are no poisonous animals here.

This conclusion was made upon research of Puig des Molins necropolis, named after the mountain, where it is located. It is believed, this place was discovered unexpectedly by a local citizen when his donkey slipped on the mud and fell under the ground. The ancient people made caves in the slopes of the mountain of windmills, where they put the bodies of the deceased, covering the entrance with stone plates. In the 1st century of our era, the Romans stopped burying their dead people here, but by this time the cemetery comprised more than three thousand tombs. Not all of the necropolis is now opened to tourists but you can see the most outstanding findings in the museum, located on the territory of this archeological complex. Remember that all the pieces are named in Spanish.

The Old Town of Ibiza is not less interesting. Earthen berms, fortress walls – all of these remained as a tribute to Mauritanian domination, although the Spanish reconstructed the Dalt Villa several times and only in the 16th century it got its modern look. Here you should not only walk the medieval streets, but also come up on the castle walls. On the territory of the Old Town you can see the excavation of the 7th-century ruins. Earlier constructions hadn’t remained till our time. All the artifacts that were found here, are exhibited in the castle museum together with the other items, brought from all the Balearic Islands. Portals Ses Tales and Nou that lead to the castle, are the masterpieces of art themselves. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Inside the castle there is the most beautiful baroque architecture monument – the Cathedral, dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows. However, the inside décor of the castle corresponds more to the austere Romanian style. Inside you can see the Ark and the Statue of Our Lady of the Snows. Santo Domingo Church, which was constructed in the 13th century, was built fully in the Romanian style, except for some elements, typical for the Renaissance era. You can see it in Soria.

For those, who want to learn more about the life of the Pitiuses in Santa Eularia des Riu, there is an ethnographic museum. You can also visit the mansion, which belonged to a wealthy family and is now restored. The mansion is opened to anyone, who is interested to know what the life of the local people was a century ago. Moreover, on the territory of the mansion, the groups of enthusiasts sell their works, created with the use of ancient technologies. Usually you can hear there the ethnic music, typical for the Balearic Islands.

Those, who prefer everything modern, will like The Museum of Contemporary Art. Ironically, it is located in a historic building of the Old Town. Unusual paintings and bizarre statues coexist here with the walls with Carthage stonework. Those, who like mystic things, will definitely try to visit Es Vedra island, which has a weird glory. The compasses and all the modern equipment here have a tendency to veer off course and people tend to disappear. Anyway, officially it is forbidden to go ashore here, so the guided tours just go around the island.