First, the boring facts:
This building housed a hospital from 1230 and a university from 1249 before the city administration moved in. Structural elements of the hospital are said to still be visible inside the building.
But there are also some really interesting facts:
– At the front of the Ajuntament is a long stone bench, called the "Idler's Bench." In the past, those who didn't have a job or didn't want to work sat here. When someone asked them why they weren't working, the answer always began with "If it weren't for..." and ended with an excuse like "...this or that hurts me."
Today, you'll hardly find any Mallorcans sitting here. No one wants to be suspected of being lazy.
– When the building's facade was being designed, the two sculptors asked the mayor for permission to have their names inscribed in small letters on the wall. The mayor, however, denied them this request. The two sculptors weren't satisfied with that, though. They discreetly added a snail and a lizard to the ornaments of the main entrance. The names of the two sculptors were Caragol and Dragón – snail and lizard.