The building that now houses Ibiza Town’s Tourist Information Office and the Centro de Interpretación Madina Yabisa museum, on Cathedral Square, served for centuries as the Court of Justice for Ibiza and Formentera. Its magnificent Gothic entrance overlooks the King Jaume I viewpoint, with sweeping views across the city and the bay. In medieval and early modern Ibiza, Cathedral Square was the island’s center of power. The Church was represented by Santa Maria, now the Cathedral; political authority by the former Casa de la Universitat, today home to the Archaeological Museum; military power by the Castle-Almudaina; and justice by the Curia.
It was here that minor offenses and everyday disputes involving islanders – and the occasional visitor – were settled. Among the most common were cases involving matters of the heart. Young men frequently found themselves before the court for taking part in a fuita, a custom practiced when a young woman was prevented from marrying the man she loved. With the help of friends, relatives, the young woman herself and sometimes even the village priest, the couple would stage her “abduction” in the hope of persuading her father to consent to a swift, discreet wedding that would avoid public scandal. Tradition dictated that the young woman remain in the care of a respectable household until the matter was resolved. The practice was outlawed by decree in the late 17th century, and if a case reached the courts, those involved often found themselves behind bars in the royal prison, located just a few steps from the Curia inside the Castle.
Another long-standing tradition that could occasionally end in conflict was the festeig, Ibiza’s unique courtship ritual. Once a young woman reached marriageable age, her father designated certain evenings when eligible young men from the area could visit her. Several suitors might gather at the house at once, patiently taking turns to speak with her. If one overstayed his allotted time, the others would first offer subtle reminders before making their impatience increasingly obvious. Rivalries sometimes escalated into arguments or even fights between competing groups of friends, turning an otherwise peaceful evening into something far more dramatic. Once the young woman had chosen her preferred suitor, the remaining hopefuls withdrew.
People could also find themselves standing before a judge for stealing items that might seem insignificant today but were once highly valuable: a handkerchief, a pair of espadrilles or even a pig, whose meat could sustain a family for an entire year. Anyone accused of a crime was typically sent straight to prison while the case was investigated and guilt or innocence determined. Spending time behind bars was also a possible punishment for taking part in certain prohibited games. They were, after all, very different times.
