Menorca, my island

It is one of the Balear islands (Spain)

It is located in the midle of the Mediterranean sea, between Europe and Africa

and Spain and Italy.

Population: around 90 000 inhabitants that increase a lot in summer.

Surface: Around 700 km2 .

Menorca, my island

The presentation will be focused in two main

aspects that are responsible of an important part of

the Menorca character:

- Its history

- Its landscapes

A bit of History

Probably due to its strategic location, the MenorcaHistory is plenty of invasions and dominations ofvarious people: Phenician, carthaginians, romans, arabs,catalans, othomans, english, french…

A bit of History: some important landmarks

- Talaiotic period: Bronze Age, 1000-200 years bc.

- Arab domination: 903-1232

- In 1287 the island was definitely liberated from the arabs by

Alfonso III de Aragon (catalan)

- English domination: XVIII siecle (for 70 years, in 3 diferent

periods)

- French domination: XVIII siecle ( 2 short periods)

- Finally Menorca was returned to Spain in 1802 by the Tratado de

Amiens

There are interesting historical remains and influences that persist nowadays

Pre-talaiotic monuments

NAVETES

Shape: inverted ship

Function: burial place

Bronze Age: megalitic monuments

TALAIOTS

Function: Defence towers.

They have been identified

more than 1000.

Interestingly from every

one you can see some

other one

Bronze Age: megalitic monumentsTAULES

Altar for

sacrifice?

Archithectonic

function, as a

master column?

Arab remains and influences

White washed

houses, roofs, walls…

Irrigation systems and

collection of raining water

Some dishes, specially

almond deserts

Place names (topónimos)

and other words: Bini (from

Ibn, son of), aljub…

English remains and influences

Sash windows (ventanas de guillotina)

Fourniture

Puddings and Gin

Some words:

xoc (chalk); ull blec (black eye);

ocs, ocs (ocs), mèrbol (marble)…

Menorca landscapes

Peculiarity: Its country appears as a mesh of “ walls” .

Menorca landscapes “Dry walls”

Menorca landscapes Dry walls

detail

Stone agrupation with benefit :

Protection

Shadow

Coexistence of cultured fields withpastos

Dry wallsMenorca landscapes

Embellished walls

Menorca landscapes

The effect of the win

Menorca coast

NORTH

SOUTH

Very irregular with a lot of sand beaches: tourist invasion

North vs south: win and geology

Menorca coast

Cavalleria

Algaiarens

Menorca coast

Cala Mitjana

Es Talaier

Menorca coast

Cala Pilar

Menorca coast

Cales

Macarella i

Macaralleta

Menorca coast

Cala Turqueta