In Roman times the island was known as “Pausoa”, the Basque word for passage or step. The French then translated this as “Paysans”, meaning peasant, before transposing it as “Faisans”, for pheasant. Over time, the name Île des Faisans stuck.
The modest island finally rose to prominence in 1648 after a cease-fire at the end of the Thirty Years’ War between France and Spain, when it was chosen as a neutral space to demarcate the new frontier zones. In fact, 24 summits have been held, with a military escort on standby if talks fail. Eleven years later, the Iberian Peace Treaty was concluded.
A royal wedding was mooted to mark the occasion, and in 1660 King Louis XIV of France married King Philip IV’s daughter, Maria Theresa of Spain, at the site of the declaration. Wooden bridges were built to facilitate passage, royal parties arrived in state barges and carriages, and tapestries and paintings were commissioned. Diego Velazquez, Philip’s court painter and whose magnum opus remains Las Meninas (a portrait of Maria Teresa with her maids), was charged with organizing much of the festivities.
Pheasant Island was so symbolic as a metaphor for peace that it was decided that the two countries would have joint custody of the territory. Spain will rule from February 1 to July 31 each year, while Pheasant Island will become an official part of France for the remaining six months. At that moment, the smallest condominium in the world was born.
By definition, condominiums are places defined by the presence of at least more than one sovereign state. The meaning derives from Latin, with “com” meaning “together” and “dominium” meaning “ownership”. And over the centuries, many countries have become embroiled in geographic struggles over condominium ownership, with governments happily spending decades arguing over the minutiae of who owns what and why. Most are not centers of empire, but rather experimental, geopolitical appendages.
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