Catedral Ibiza

It is speculated that the Romans chose the site because a Carthaginian temple occupied it. The newcomers wanting to replace all aspects of the older culture. If there was indeed a Carthaginian temple then the site has a history of worship going back 2,500 years at least. With the ousting of the Moors, a fine Gothicstyle church was built. The construction took a long time, starting in the late 13th century and continuing for 300 years. Of that original church only the apse and the bell tower the tower looking very much like an Italian campanile remain. The rest was pulled down and rebuilt in unimaginative style in the 18th century. The church was granted cathedral status in 1782. Inside there are a few interesting works of art, but the better pieces have been removed to the cathedral museum which is attached to the main building. One of the best exhibits here is a silver monstrance plate (the 'dish' used to hold the Host at Roman Catholic massesl made in Mallorca in the 15th century. Look, too, for the altarpiece of Sant Macia by a 15thcentury Tarragonian master.

One Interesting feature of the cathedral is its dedication, which is to the island's patron saint. No surprise there, but in this warmest of European islands the patron saint is Santa Maria de las Neus, the Virgin of the Snows. The reason is that in the calendar of Spanish holy days that of the Virgin of the Snows fell closest to when the Christians captured the island from the Moors.