One of the most memorable episodes in the port and the city of Mahon's history happened in 1535, under the Spanish monarchy of Charles V, with the famous pirate Barbarossa as the protagonist.
In response to the attacks of the Spanish navy on the city of Alger, Barbarossa, at the head of 2500 men, besieges the city and, by dint of ruse and fake promises, gets the keys to the city from its directors. He sacks Mahon and runs away with his loot, taking with him 800 young men and women destined to be sold in the slave markets. Following this very cruel attack, it was decided to reinforce the city's defenses with the help of the fortress of San Felipe and the reconstruction of the mural.
From the 16th century, the Spanish, the English and the French succeeded each other at the head of the island and continued to defend the port of Mahon until it was converted into an important naval base, which was given up during the 19th century to several foreign fleets.