Fornells, Minorca
Encyclopedia
Fornells is a village located in a bay
in the north of the Balearic island
of Minorca
, Spain
. Fornells wants to be the ninth municipality of Menorca. Fornells is estimated to have a population of about 1000 people which increases in the summer due to tourism. Fornells' native people are known as Fornellers in the Catalan language
and in Spanish
.
In 1798 the village was a landing sight during the Capture of Minorca
by the British.
(Tramontana in Catalan
), which has shaped the rocks and bent the trees over until the branches almost touch the ground.
Fornells' natural harbour is filled with llauts, the traditional Minorcan fishing craft, used for fishing lobsters.
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
in the north of the Balearic island
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
of Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Fornells wants to be the ninth municipality of Menorca. Fornells is estimated to have a population of about 1000 people which increases in the summer due to tourism. Fornells' native people are known as Fornellers in the Catalan language
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
and in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
History
The village was originally founded to serve the castle erected in the 16th century as a defence against the Barbary pirates for whom Fornells Bay provided the perfect safe haven. The castle was eventually demolished in the 18th century and all that is left of the military past of Fornells is the watch tower on the headland, outside the village. From there to the west Cavallería Cape can be seen, and to the east the massive bulk of Sa Mola, forming the eastern side of the entrance.In 1798 the village was a landing sight during the Capture of Minorca
Capture of Minorca
In November 1798 a British expedition captured the island of Minorca from Spain. A large force under General John Stuart landed on the island and forced its Spanish garrison to surrender in eight days with only some bloodshed...
by the British.
Location
Fornells Bay is deep, measuring 5 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide. The narrow entrance regulates the force of the open sea. Sufficiently narrow to offer protection, the entrance allows water to enter the bay while restricting the waves. The wind is not so easily restrained. The surrounding hills are not high enough to keep out the TramontaneTramontane
Tramontane is a classical name for a northern wind. The exact form of the name and precise direction varies from country to country. The word came to English from Italian tramontana, which developed from Latin trānsmontānus , "beyond the mountains/across the mountains", referring to the alps in...
(Tramontana in Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
), which has shaped the rocks and bent the trees over until the branches almost touch the ground.
Fishing Village