Prominent Menorcan writer, historian, and lawyer
I
t was a sunny spring day in Mahón. Joan Ramis i Ramis, wearing his straw hat and carrying a walking stick, strolled through the streets of the city, recalling memories of his childhood and youth. He had been born in this very city, in a house on Isabel II Street, on April 27, 1746
Plaza Market
As he walked, he stopped in the Market Square, where markets were held, and neighbors gathered to talk and trade. He remembered how, as a young boy, he had studied at the town school, where he first learned Latin and arithmetic.
La Sociedad
Maonesa
He continued along Carrer Nou, where the house of his friend Captain Joan Roca i Vinent stood. Together, they founded the Societat Maonesa de Cultura in 1778. Society had become a meeting place for the city’s intellectuals and artists, and Ramis had read some of his works there.
Port of Mahón
Soon, he reached the Port of Mahón, where the scent of salt and sea filled the air. He paused on the quay, remembering the ships that arrived carrying news and goods from distant lands. The harbor had often inspired him; here he had written some of his poems and plays.
Church of
Santa María
From there, he walked toward the Church of Santa María, where he had been baptized and where he had attended Sunday Mass. The church was a place of peace and reflection. Ramis sat quietly on a bench, remembering his youth days.
After a while, he stood up and continued along Rectoría Street, where the home of the parish rector stood. As a young man, he had studied under the rector, who had been one of his mentors.
Constitution Square
He arrived at Plaza de la Constitución, where Mahón’s Town Hall stood. He paused to look at the building, recalling how it had often served as a meeting place for the city’s councillors and as the setting for some of his theatrical works.
Finally, he returned to his home on Isabel II Street, where he sat in his study surrounded by books and papers. It had been a long day, but he had enjoyed his walk through Mahón, revisiting the places that had shaped his life.
And so, Joan Ramis i Ramis took up his pen once more, with the city of Mahón as his muse.
