Mallorca court drawings reveal sentences from 1651-1660
Drawings of punishments sit beside court rulings in a new exhibition at the Arxiu del Regne de Mallorca in Palma. The archive opened its temporary exhibition space, L'arxiu de prop, on Wednesday with El llibre de sentències (1651-1660). The book records decisions by the Real Audiencia court.
The volume was found in 2021 while the archive was sorting its judicial holdings. It was later restored at the Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España and digitised so it can be consulted.
Punishments drawn beside the rulings
The book stands out for the many drawings placed alongside the written verdicts. Each one depicts the punishment imposed on the person convicted.
Among the most frequent penalties recorded are fuerza and galley service. The archive says the volume is valuable both as a document and as an artwork, especially because no records of the criminal trials from the period have survived.
A troubled chapter in Mallorca
The rulings also point to a turbulent time on Mallorca, marked by clashes between the Canamunt and Canavall factions. The display includes some of the weapons mentioned in the court decisions, with help from the Museo Histórico Militar de San Carlos.
A video features specialists Pere Salas and Antoni Domingo explaining the factional fighting in Mallorca's Part Forana and why the sentence book matters. Until 15 June, the new space will also show documents about people, institutions and events that shaped Balearic memory.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com