“Because of the plague the harbour was shut” Ibiza archivist Fanny Tur

Ibizology

The historian, archivist and politician Francesca or Fanny Tur Riera is in charge of the official historical archives of Ibiza and Formentera, which contain documents going back more than 800 years. As well as her work with the archive, Fanny has been politically active, championing the importance of Catalan culture and as a minister for culture and sports for the Balearic islands. Fanny is a respected historian. Two of her publications caught my eye and led to some thought-provoking conversation, as you’ll hear. Her work on the bubonic plague in Ibiza resonates today as the island fends off covid-19. I was surprised to learn that there are quite a lot of similarities between today’s coronavirus pandemic and the epidemic which swept the island in 1652. We also discuss Fanny’s work on the role of women in Ibiza, highlighting how there is still a long way to go to on the road to equality in what is still quite a machismo culture despite improvements over the centuries. I interviewed Fanny at the spectacular archive building in Dalt Vila. You’ll find pictures of this and some of the documents we examined by linking up with Ibizology on Facebook or Instagram. Let’s join Fanny as she tells me how her career as Ibiza’s archivist began.