HISTORY
Brief history of Porreres.
The oldest evidences of human presence in the Porreres term are already documented in prehistory and ancient history through thirty archaeological sites. Of these stages thirty deposits are conserved. From the pre-Talayotic period, there are caves that were used as houses and as burial places; and from the Talayotic period, there are well-known talayots, such as those of Beulenes, Es Pagos and, above all, the whole town of Pou Salat. Also mentioned are the necropolis of Puig de Son Redó and that of the Pagos.
Roman domination has been verified by some discoveries discovered in the nineteenth century, as a funerary headstone on the land of Son Cota, and a pillar of a Roman grave with an inscription. During the Islamic era, the term belonged to the Juz 'of Manaqur, where the tribes of the Humeya and the Zanata inhabited. The Muslim presence can be found in some Arab place-names of farmhouses and rafals and in some Arabic coins minted in Mallorca. Also in some public wells that are still preserved in the municipal area of Porreres, such as the well of Juana and the well of the Lady, among others.
The cast of Mallorca, after its conquest on the part of a Catalan expedition of Jaume I granted the concession of the territories of Porreres to the count Nuno Sanç. With the death of the Count in 1241, his goods passed to his closest relative, King Jaume I. From this time we have the first reference of the primitive church of Porreres that is 1242. A few years later, in 1248 at the but Innocenci IV is also mentioned as a parish. It seems that the current church of l'Hospitalet was the seat of the first church of Porreres, where in 1879, in a restoration work, a gothic table appeared that represented the two patrons of the town, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Joan Evangelista.
The name of Porreres comes from one of the knights who participated in the conquest of Mallorca, Guillem de Porrera from a town in Priorat (Tarragona). This character received the farmhouse of Alquazor and the rafals of Maffumet and Totzeta that were part of the current municipality of Porreres. Until 1300, the population of Porreres was part of the administrative unit of Felanitx, Campos and Santanyí, and was ruled by a mayor who depended on the royal mayor of Mallorca.
In the last years of the reign of James II they were of peace, excellent government and very important decision-making, among which the most remarkable would be the creation of the Mallorcan monetary system and the enactment of the Ordinations in 1300. The Ordinació de les Pobles text, envisaged the creation, on the island of Mallorca, of towns of 100 neighborhoods. Although it is difficult to know for sure which populations were ordered (or projected names), we know that it has been able to document the application of these new laws in Artà, Capdepera, Bellver, Campos, Santanyí, Albocàsser, Bellver, Capocorb ( in Llucmajor), Felanitx, sa Granada (probably in Manacor), Huialfàs, Manacor, Montuïri, Padrina, La Palomera, Petra, Sant Joan and Porreres.
From his ordination as a village of Mallorca, Porreres experiences a growth during the 14th and 15th centuries. There are many references, from diverse sources, that talk about the expansion of its urban helmet, the opening of new streets, as well as new neighborhoods. In these years we are aware that a Jewish community resided in the village and the existence of a call was documented. The crisis of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries ended with the Revolta Forana with an active participation of some porrerencs. Also during the revolt of the Germanies, the presence of small and medium-sized landowners and landowners of Porreres is documented.
From this time the sanctuary of Our Lady of Monti-Sion is remarkable, located in the homonymous hill of 245 meters in height. The foundation of the oratory dates from 1498. In Monti-sion there was a grammar school that seems to have been inaugurated at the beginning of the 16th century. This center prepared the future students of the General Study and its period of maximum splendor was during the 17th century, in fact according to Archduke Lluís Salvador, in 1680 there were 200 students.
During the War of the Succession (1702-1715), Porreres supported Archduke Charles of Austria, but also had supporters (botiflers) of Philip V. With the victory of the Bourbon king, the New Plant Decree was introduced, after which the municipal powers were reduced to administrative and urban affairs and the batles became appointed by a military commander. As of this moment, the University of Porreres disappears, which was replaced by the City Council, a body of Spanish origin.
One of the most remarkable events of the 19th century was the exclaustrations produced as of 1935 that affected eight religious men. In addition, the law of confiscation of ecclesiastical property affected the lands of the Monti-sion patrimony. Around 53 quarters were auctioned into a public auction. Another was the loss of the documentation of the municipal file of Porreres that was victim of the flames as a result of the revolutionary riots of "La Gloriosa" that led to the dethrone of Isabel II. In addition, this popular civic uprising of October 3, 1868 caused the detention of 56 neighbors of the city, of which 27 went to prison where they served 5 to 10 years.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Porreres had a population that ranged from 4,900 to 5,600. Most of the locals were day laborers or farmers, although we must say that many of the wage earners also worked directly or indirectly in the field. In 1877 it had 4,492 inhabitants, 5,503 in 1887, 4,968 in 1897, 4,907 in 1900, 4,960 in 1910, 4,872 in 1920, 5,457 in 1930. The evolution of the population of the 20th century practically staggered over the first decades and went from 4,907 inhabitants in 1900 to 4,872 in 1920. There influenced dot important facts. The first, the flu epidemic of 1918, that caused the death of 78 people and, secondly, emigration to America.
The proclamation of the Second Republic, on April 14, 1931, was celebrated without much renouncement of Porreres. Of the thirteen representatives that would integrate the first Republican consistory, 9 were from the party Republican Regionalist Center of Porreres, and 4 of the regionalists of the Center, heirs of the Liberal Party. The regionalist Joan Mora Ferrando was elected first mayor of the Second Republic. They also held the post of Bernadí Bou Sala Bou mayor, Gabriel Barceló Mora and Climent Garau Juan.
During the Second Republic, many associations were founded: the Porreres football club, the Instructional Center, the Workers 'Union and the Workers' Fraternity of Porreres, among others. Two fortnightly ones were published: Porreras and La Voz de Porreras. The frontpopulist municipal government (March-July 1936) is also notable, presided by Batle Climent Garau Juan de can Marió. During the mandate the construction of a new school began, the improvement of Plaza de la República (now Plaza de la Vila), the opening of a Municipal library, and the improvement were also started and properly from the streets of the village.
In July 1936 civil war broke out. Porreres was one of the places where fascist repression affected more violently and about thirty farmers were shot, among them, the last Republican mayor, Climent Garau and all the councilors that made up the town hall of the Popular Front. Nor can we forget the massacre of people that was taken behind the wall of the Santa Cruz Oratory, near the municipal cemetery. In this place people who were detained in the prisons of Palma died: Can Mir, the prison of women of Can Sales and Bellver Castle.
Since the first local democratic elections in 1979, it has been chosen Porreres mayor's: Francesc Sastre Mora -Frigola-, Josep Roig Salleras -of Son Amat-, Jaume Martorell Mora -del Molí donzell-, Joan Sastre Barceló -Frígola-, Bernat Bauçà Garau -Xiscos- and Francisca Mora Veny. They are illustrious sons of the town: Joan Feliu Jaume, Fra Bonaventura Sitjar, Jaume Mulet Escarrer, Rafel Sitja Servera and Climent Garau Juan.
Bartomeu Garí Salleras
