Bandits in Mallorca

When we think of bandits, we usually picture the mountains of Andalusia or, more specifically, the Sierra Morena. However, for centuries, Mallorca also experienced a period marked by armed gangs, highway robberies and clashes between powerful families.

Today we’ll be talking about the bandits of Mallorca and the circumstances surrounding them.

Who were the bandits of Mallorca?

For several centuries, Mallorca went through a very turbulent and unstable period. Many men had no work and no land to farm, so they saw no other option but to ‘take to the hills’ in order to feed themselves and survive. They were clearly a consequence of the severe economic and social crisis that gripped Mallorca.

Era and population

The 16th and 17th centuries were not easy in Mallorca, as there were many popular uprisings and widespread chaos. The island’s population was not large, especially when compared with today: in 1503 there may have been between 35,000 and 55,000 people, and in 1591 between 110,000 and 115,000, but this represented the highest population density in the whole of Spain (26 inhabitants per km²) and resources were scarce.

Adverse economic conditions

The majority of the population – between 70 and 80 per cent – lived in villages and were subject to heavy taxation, whilst the ruling classes enjoyed considerable privileges. In addition to this, people were heavily dependent on the harvests, and in several years these had been very poor, leading to famine and hardship. As if all this were not enough, several epidemics also broke out, during which thousands of people easily perished, further exacerbating the situation. Against this backdrop, the uprisings emerged: the ‘Germanias’ movement.

1521: The Germania Uprising

The Germania was a mass uprising, a struggle of the working classes against the ruling classes. Its aim was to reform the public economy by abolishing certain taxes. In Mallorca, it began moderately but turned violent with attacks on Bellver Castle and the sieges of towns such as Alcudia, where some authorities had taken refuge. The king’s troops, who arrived by ship from the mainland, were forced to intervene, resorting to severe repression and carrying out hundreds of executions. Ultimately, the movement was crushed and Mallorca’s economy was severely affected.

Banditry

The years that followed were far from peaceful; in fact, banditry proliferated, as a continuation of the Germania era. Hunger and hardship were rife, as harvests were often poor and insufficient. But what was in abundance were men without work or money, and willing to do anything. One of the few options was to turn to banditry, and in that environment all manner of crimes were committed: robberies on estates, highway robberies, murders and every other misdeed imaginable.

The bandits

They formed gangs and led a nomadic existence, sleeping in the mountains and out in the open, or sometimes hiding in farm sheds. It was clearly no comfortable life, but one full of misery, deprivation and danger, as they were hunted down by the law. On many occasions, these crimes were punished with death; depending on the offence, they were sentenced to hanging. The most macabre part came afterwards, as a public warning: the hanged were quartered and their heads and limbs were displayed for all to see.

Did you know that in Palma there is a tower in the Almudaina Palace called the ‘Torre dels Caps’? The heads of those hanged were hung and displayed there for a long time.

The Selva Gang

There were many gangs of outlaws, and some of them became very well known. This was the case with the ‘Selva Gang’, which had 14 members and was even supported by chaplains, knights and landowners, who provided them with weapons and provisions in exchange for furthering their own interests.

The last outlaw

However, all eras come to an end, and on 15 January 1729, the man considered to be the last leader of a band of outlaws, Mateu Reus, alias Rotget, was executed in Palma.

More than 200 years of uprisings and instability had passed in Mallorca, and finally the law prevailed over chaos.

Final reflection

Today, in a prosperous, tourist-oriented Mallorca, it is hard to imagine that travelling between villages could once have been dangerous. However, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the inland roads were not the only danger. Whilst bandits, driven by poverty, sowed fear on the mainland, the Mallorcan coasts also suffered constant attacks from corsairs and pirates from North Africa.

The cover photo shows an ex-vote with a depiction of a crime. The actions of the bandits in Mallorca took away the sleep of every population with a feeling of insecurity that added to the attacks from the other side of the sea. Defense towers were used on the island to monitor these attacks. Follow the link to read it: Pirate attacks in Mallorca and the defence towers

https://www.productesdemallorca.es/attacks-pirates-mallorca-towers-defence/?lang=en