| Mao is the business and administrative capital of Menorca, but it remains, above all, a port. "The best ports in the Mediterranean are June, July, August, and Mao," said the 16th-century Venetian admiral Andrea Doria, nothing that beyond the summer sailing season, a fleet couldn`t do better than shelter here. The 6-km (4 mile) long, deep-water natural harbor, guarded by forts at its mouth and shielded from the winds by surrounding hills, caught the eye of the British Royal Navy early in the 18th century. In 1708, during the War of the Spanish Succession, the British seized the island for its port, and kept possession until temporarily losing it to the French in 1756.
British occupation, on and off until 1802, left its mark. The English introduced gin, and Menorcan gin production has thrived ever since. Parts of Mao`s old town appear straight out of Georgian England. Whole streets, including Costa de Sa Plaça (Hannover), resemble 18th century Portsmouth or Plymouth.
The only way to enjoy Mao is by foot. The city is clustered on a cliff; near the center, a twisting roadway (Costa de Ses Voltes) and flights of broad ceremonial steps lead down to the quays and port. Mao`s star sight is its beautiful port, and the enjoyable promenade and restaurants and pastel - coloredhouses that line it.
At the top level, follow your nose to Plaça d`Espanya and the fish market, where you`ll see more varieties of octopus and squid than you knew existed. Adjacent are a produce market and stalls, housed in the vast cloisters (Claustre del Carme) of a former convent, selling Abarcas (Menorcan peasant shoes), jewelry, and Menorca`s famous Mahon cheese. Made of cow`s milk with a small percentage of sheep`s milk, varieties range from the young and mild to a hard-skinned and almost crystalline, long-matured version rivaling the best Parmesan.
The chief landmark in this area, on Plaça de la Conquesta, is the church of Santa Maria, a large Gothic space under a vaulted roof. Rebuilt in the 18th century, it was equipped in 1810 with a Baroque, 3,000 - pipe organ - still played during organ concerts every morning but Sunday. Just round the corner, the stately Ajuntament (Town Hall) is graced by a clock presented by Sir Richard Kane (1713 - 1736), Menorca`s first British governor.
Elegant Carrer Isabel II, a long string of mansions overlooking the harbor, leads to the Baroque church Esglesia Sant Francesc and the Museu de Menorca. The façade of Sant Francesc, completed in the 18th century, conceals a delightful Churrigueresque Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. The museum, the best on Menorca, excels in its prehistoric and classical artifacts, which depict the fascinating history of the island. |
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Mao (Menorca)