Eivissa (Ibiza) celebrates every year the conquest of the island by Guillem de Montgrí on August 8, 1235, and Sant Ciriac, patron saint of Ibiza.
In 1650, the University declared August 8, the day of Sant Ciriac, a public holiday in Ibiza, to commemorate the entry of Christian troops into the Arab city of Yebisah (Ibiza).
Since then, different celebrations have been held on that date to commemorate this historical event.
Legend has it that the army of Guillem de Montgrí easily conquered Yabisah (the name of Muslim Ibiza), thanks to the revenge of the brother of the sheikh who ruled the citadel. According to the chronicle of the Dominican Vicente Nicolás, from the 18th century, the latter could not bear that the sovereign took away his favorite concubine and, because of sentimental quarrels, he allowed the invaders to pass through the secret door of his house located next to the wall.
It is the place that is known as "Field of Betrayal" and that, besides remembering a purely family confrontation, marks the transition from Saracen to Christian rule on the island, without any spillage of blood.
Tradition has it that on that day in the summer of 1235, the first Christian soldier who entered Ibiza did so through a passageway. The access to the subway passage is under the altar of the Chapel of San Ciriaco.
The Capella de Sant Ciriac is located on the street of the same name, a narrow, cobbled and somewhat steep street, very close to the Convent de les Monges Tancades; a small oratory of popular devotion built by the City Council of Ibiza in 1754, in honor of San Ciriaco, patron saint of the city since 1650, whose feast day, August 8, coincides with the celebration of the Christian conquest of 1235.
Every year on the occasion of the feast of Sant Ciriac, one of the events that take place is the visit of the authorities of the island to the chapel, before the institutional act in front of the recumbent statue of Guillém de Montgrí, in the Town Hall Square.
In the beginning, the celebrations had a more religious character, but over time, although the devotional component is still evident, they have evolved into more popular festivities, with traditional dance performances, market stalls and a large fireworks show.
