Santa Eugènia, Mallorca, Things to do and see, hotels, market

During Islamic dominance of Mallorca (902-1229/32), two farms occupied the lands here; Benibahari and Benibazari, both belonged to the Zanata tribe and was part of the district known as “Juz’ de Qanarussa”, one of twelve districts. The Moorish settlers cultivated the lands where grapes, almonds, cattle and cereals were some of the main actives.

When King Jaume I of Aragón and his troops arrived in 1229 in his campaign to take Mallorca as part of the reconquista, the Zanata tribe did not offer much resistance. Those who was not killed was taken as slaves for the new Christian settlers. The area was given to Bernat de Santa Eugènia, a lord from Girona, Catalonia, who was one of the first to arrive with his knights in Santa Ponça during the conquest. Bernat de Santa Eugènia was shortly after appointed first governor of Mallorca.

During the 15th century, a small urban nucleus started to for around the farm of Son Bosso, which is meant to have been part of the Moorish farm of Benibazari. It was a very small urban core, most likely well under 50 houses, which belonged under the municipality of Santa Maria del Camí.

In 1521, the movement called “La Germania” began the first civil war in Mallorca as a response to the massive tax loads and corruption by the nobility. The years between 1521 and 1523, were the most violent in the history since the conquest. Most of the peasants from Santa Eugènia participated in favor of the Germania, which was penalized with massive fines, debt and human losses as indemnifications.

The community started to slowly grow again, and according to local historian Josep Capó Juan, the community made for a third of the municipality in the late 16th century.

In the beginning of the 17th century, the population of Santa Eugènia was actually larger than the one in Santa Maria, which started a series of strides on whether the town council should be here or in Santa Maria. However, in the 1630’s, the population of Santa Maria grew significantly due to increase in industrialism allowing for better and more production.

The mid-eighteenth century was again characterized by grown and increase in the population, and therefore, a new attempt to segregate from Santa Maria was initiated. During this period, the urban core was  further expanded and the addition of the es Puget mill district was a reality.

Fast forward to the nineteenth century, a series chaotic and turbulent decades came to characterize the events of Santa Eugènia and Spain in general. As of June 1813, the Constitution of Cadíz (1812) allowed for Santa Eugènia to become independent as a municipality for the very first time. However, when King Felipe IV came to power after the Napoleonic Wars (1814), the centralization of authority was reinstated all over Spain, and Santa Eugènia became once again under the administration of Santa Maria del Camí. With the new liberal government and the Constitutional Triennium (1820-23), Santa Eugènia once again regained municipal independence. In 1820 the new town hall was formed with the mayor Joan Montblanc, four counselors and a syndic. As of the French invasion and reinstatement of absolutism by Ferdinand VII in 1823, Santa Eugènia was again reincorporated under Santa Maria del Camí. Not until 1840, the Superior Political Government of the Balearic Islands, at the request of Pere Joan Coil, allowed for a creation of a decree to segregate again. The municipal independence was finally achieved in 1843, after overcoming the resistance of Santa Maria.

Following the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), at the orders of Franco, the Civil Guard took over the town hall without much opposition. The Franco regime disallowed all political parties, unions and cultural activities that did not honor the Castilian spirit. However, during the 1940’s and 1950’s, various cultural organizations was created such as the Youth Sport of Santa Eugènia and Club Atlanta, as well as the bars of Can Topas and Cam Prim functioned as headquarters of various associations.

Post 1979 when democracy was reinstated all over Spain, Santa Eugènia has been widely dominated by a conservative political agenda. Since 2007, the conservative People’s Party has had the majority of the votes.