On 17 November Inca celebrates the 700 year old ‘Dijous Bo Fira’. In case you are wondering what that means, it is Catalan for the ‘Good Thursday Fair’; the largest market in Mallorca. It is the climax of four Fairs, starting during the last week in October, celebrating art, culture, cuisine, sports, you name it, Inca will probably celebrate it.

But what of Inca’s story? People have lived in the area for 3,000 years and while remains have long been buried under the town, there are pre-historic Talayot towers at s’Ermita, to the north-east, and on Santa Margalida hill, to the east. The Romans conquered Mallorca in 123 BC and Inca was one day’s march away from the island’s capital at Pollentia (near Alcúdia) to the north-east. It was the ideal place to stop for the night en route to the military camp, Campana Palma (now Palma). So it is probably no coincidence that Inca means ‘thirst’ in Latin. You too will be able to slake your thirst in the town at the Dijous Bo Fair.

The Moors arrived in 902 AD they turned Inkam into a market village. Settlers who came in the wake of King James of Aragon’s conquest of the island in 1229 opened shoe making workshops in the village. The tanners turned animal hide into treated leather; cobblers crafted the shoes and the market sold them to passing travellers. It still does 700 years later.

Many tanners were put out of work when better quality leather was imported from the Spain’s new colonies in the 16th Century. Most cobblers could not afford the quality imports so they made ‘tapins’, a cheap sandal with a cork sole and a cloth top. All was going well until the plague swept through Inca in 1652, killing nearly half the 5,000 townspeople in a few months. The disaster virtually paralysed industry in the town for 200 years.

Antoni Fluxà introduced his first production line workshop to Inca in the 1850s. Twelve cobblers worked side-by-side, each becoming an expert in one task. He opened more workshops but many employees were sacked when the first steam powered machine arrived in 1860.

The arrival of the Palma train in 1875 meant that Inca’s shoes could be exported. But the loss of the colonies, following Spain’s 1898 war with the United States of America, hit the shoe trade hard and

it was some time before new markets were found on the mainland. Queen Regent, Maria Christina, still awarded Inca the title ‘town’ to recognise its growth.

Visiting Inca

Inca’s main church is dedicated to Santa Maria la Major. It was built on the site of the Moors’ mosque following the conquest but what we see today was started in 1706. The huge building took nearly 200 years to complete. Heading west, moving through the centre of the market, we find Plaza d’Espanya with its fine Town Hall and Casa Janer.

Continuing west we find Can Ripoll, an 17th Century manor house complete with a tower. It is typical of the manor houses built by the town’s wealthy landowners. They also had manor houses on their estates but they left the work to their manager while they enjoyed town life.

Turning right down the narrow Calle Santo Domingo, we find the 17th century Santo Domingo Church. The monks were evicted when the building was confiscated in the 1830s to raise money for Queen Isabella’s cause during the Carlist War. The cloisters are now occupied by council offices and the town library.

Retrace your steps to Can Ripoll and turn right to find Plaza de la Quatera with the ornate Market Hall, which is now home to a school of music. You will also see a statue celebrating Inca’s shoemakers.

Continue southwest to the railway station, turning left before turning right under the railway bridge onto Avenida del General Luque. The 19th century barracks are to the left and they are now home to a museum with an exhibition of machinery and objects related to the shoe industry.

Mills Hill

The 17th century Saint Bartholomew’s convent is on Mills Hill, on the north side north of the town. Follow Calle de la Font north from Church of Santa Mayor la Maria to find Calle de las Monjas (Nuns Road). The nuns of Saint Jerome were referred to as the ‘Enclosed Nuns’ because they never left

their convent. You can enter the courtyard to see the convent but you cannot enter the nuns’ secret garden.

Follow the road beyond the convent into Calle de los Molinos to mills which gave the road its name. You will find Serral de ses Monges Park with its wonderful views of the Tramuntana Mountains. Look out for the ‘Pota del Rei’ on the map by the entrance. It means the King’s Slip. A nearby memorial refers to the legend that King James the Conqueror was chasing the Moors leader, Xuaip, because his army was terrorising Inca. The King’s horse slipped, leaving a hoof shaped groove in the rock.

King James eventually negotiated a truce with Xuiap and nearly 20,000 Moors, many of them women, children and the elderly, handed themselves in. The hard core of 2,000 young men spent another winter hiding in the mountains before surrendering. Although the memorial is tricky to find, it is worth it for the wonderful views of the Tramuntana Mountains.

Santa Magdalena

Drive east out of Inca on the Ma-13a heading for Alcúdia. Follow signs for Santa Magdalena Chapel on the south side of the town bypass and up the hill to the summit. Here you can see much of north-east Mallorca. The original chapel dated from the 14th Century but what we see today has been rebuilt and enlarged. The ruins of a pre-historic walled settlement on the peak to the south of the chapel.

So enjoy Inca’s Dijous Bo and Google ‘Inca Turistica’ for more information on the town (English option available)