Sant Elm was the scene last weekend of a crowded battle between Moors and Christians. | MICHELS
The history behind the Pollensa and Soller Moors and Christians battles is widely known, but there is far less familiarity with the background to one of the other reenactments - Sant Elm in early August.
The pirates raid in Andratx occurred on August 2, 1578. Andratx suffered repeated attacks, and the one in 1578 wasn’t especially significant. However, according to an article from 1919, it came to be celebrated over the centuries as it was the only one that the village remembered. And this was because the Church reminded everyone. It was on the feast day of the Mare de Déu dels Àngels, whose protection was given to the local people against the invaders.
The re-enactment on the beach, as it now is, is quite recent - 1996 - but there had been a fiesta which for some reason ceased to be celebrated in the 1950s. (In Andratx there is a celebration on Friday from 7.30pm.)