Pollença relives the Moors and Christians mock battle on the main day of the Patron Saint
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"Our Lady of the Angels, assist us! Pollencins, rise up, the pirates are here!" The cry of Joan Mas has once again resounded through the streets of Pollença this Sunday and has kicked off the mock battle of Moors and Christians, the central act of the Patron Saint's festival and one of the most emblematic historical reenactments in Mallorca. Thousands of people have filled the historic center to follow a new recreation of the defense of the town against the corsair attack of 1550, on a day that has once again turned the town into an open-air stage.
The Main Square is warming up
Although the day had begun at dawn with the Alborada and had continued with religious and institutional acts, the atmosphere intensified from the afternoon onwards. The Plaça Major gradually filled with people from Pollença and visitors to collect the traditional simulation t-shirts while the Pollença Music Band performed the first pieces of the afternoon.
The t-shirts raised to the rhythm of the music left one of the most characteristic images of the prelude to the battle. Meanwhile, the bars and terraces in the center were filling up and the streets were tinged with the white of the Christians and the vibrant colors of the Moors' costumes.
While the square breathed a festive atmosphere, the protagonists finalized their preparations. Around 5:50 PM, Rafel Morro was dressing as Dragut in the Town Hall courtyard surrounded by family and friends. Half an hour later, an emotional Daniel Pérez arrived at the house from which, following tradition, Joan Mas departs before beginning the route towards Carrer Major.
The cry that ignites the battle
Punctually, at 7:00 PM, Joan Mas appeared at the window, in front of a completely full Major street. After meeting with Dragut, he uttered the cry that marks the beginning of the reenactment every August 2nd: "Our Lady of the Angels, help us! Pollencins, rise up, the pirates are here!".
From that moment on, the town center has become, once again, the scene of a battle that the people of Pollença know by heart, but which they continue to experience with the same emotion. The performance has toured the usual spaces, from Plaça de l'Almoina to can Escarrinxo, passing through Carrer Major, can Nogués, and Plaça de Sant Jordi, in front of thousands of spectators who occupied balconies, doorways, and any corner from which to follow the combat.
A performance that continues to mobilize an entire people
The main roles in the reenactment have fallen this year to Daniel Pérez, as Joan Mas, and Rafel Morro, as Dragut. They have been accompanied by Marc Llompart as lieutenant, Miquel Alfonsín as standard-bearer, and Toni Cànaves Llobeta, Biel Bauzà Manresa, Martí Cladera Cifre, and Tolo Villarreal Polar as the Old Town Council.
The performance of the roles was followed with anticipation from the very first moment and received applause from the public throughout the entire route, especially during some of the most emblematic moments of the representation.
The preparation of the reenactment begins long before August 2nd. Rehearsals, the making of the costumes, and the preparation of the material are part of a discreet effort that extends for weeks, so that, when the day arrives, every detail responds to a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. As the participants themselves often recall, in Pollença, they don't talk about disguises, but about costumes, a way of understanding the festival that emphasizes respect for the history and meaning of the reenactment.
Beyond the combat, the reenactment is still the great meeting point for the people of Pollença. Entire families, children, former officials, and visitors share a day that completely transforms the center of Pollença and that, year after year, turns the town's streets into a space of collective memory.
When the battle ends, the streets retain the traces of the reenactment for a while: remnants of paint on the cobblestones, the smell of gunpowder and mesclat, swords under their arms, and costumes returning home after an intense day. It is an image that is repeated every August 2nd and that summarizes the essence of a festival that goes far beyond the historical representation. For the people of Pollença, the reenactment is heritage, identity, and a tradition that continues to be passed down from generation to generation.