Sant Josep de sa Talaia
Encyclopedia
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
in western Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
. The town is 10.7 miles west of the capital Eivissa
Ibiza Town
Ibiza Town is a city and municipality located on the southeast coast of the island of Ibiza in the Balearic Islands autonomous community. Although called Ibiza in English and Spanish, the official name is in Catalan Eivissa and its inhabitants call it Vila d'Eivissa or simply Vila...
and is Located on the PM803 highway between Eivissa town and Sant Antoni de Portmany
Sant Antoni de Portmany
Sant Antoni de Portmany is a town on the western coast of Ibiza. It is the second-largest town and municipality in Ibiza; an island described by Time Out magazine as "arguably the clubbing capital of the universe"...
. The town is 6.5 miles from the islands airport. As of 2006, the population of the municipality was 19,224.
Municipality
The municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia is situated in the southwest of the island and is bordered with the municipalities of Vila d'EivissaIbiza Town
Ibiza Town is a city and municipality located on the southeast coast of the island of Ibiza in the Balearic Islands autonomous community. Although called Ibiza in English and Spanish, the official name is in Catalan Eivissa and its inhabitants call it Vila d'Eivissa or simply Vila...
and Sant Antoni de Portmany
Sant Antoni de Portmany
Sant Antoni de Portmany is a town on the western coast of Ibiza. It is the second-largest town and municipality in Ibiza; an island described by Time Out magazine as "arguably the clubbing capital of the universe"...
. The territory was created after the joining to quartons
Quarter
Quarter is one fourth, ¼, or 25%, and may refer to:*Quarter , a section or area, usually of a town*Quarter , valued at one-fourth of a U.S...
. Previouse to this the island Ibiza had been divided into four quartons following the Catalan conquest
History of Catalonia
The territory that now constitutes the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain, and the adjoining Catalan region of France, was first settled during the Middle Palaeolithic...
in 1229. Within the municipal boundary can be found some of the most emblematic sights of Ibiza. There is the Salines Nature Park and its sea grass meadows, and the Vendranell Nature Reserve and Es Vedrà
Es Vedra
Es Vedrà is a Balearic island approximately 2 km off the western coast of Ibiza, in the area of Cala d'Hort. The island is a nature reserve and is uninhabited. As the main island Ibiza, Es Vedrà consists predominantly of mesozoic limestone without any larger metal accumulations...
a spectacular extinct volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
a short distance offshore. It is claimed that Es Vedrà is one of the most magnetic place on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Also within the boundaries are the remains of Phoenician settlement called Sa Caleta which along with Vendranell Nature Reserve are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Sa Talaiassa
Sa Talaiassa
Sa Talaiassa , also known as Sa Talaia or Sa Talaia de Sant Josep, is the highest mountain in the island of Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain. It is located in the southwest of the island...
, the highest point on the island, is also located within the municipal boundary.
The Parish Church of Sant Josep de sa Talaia
In the early years of the 17th century the population of municipality had grown considerably. At this time the nearest place of worship was at Sant Antoni de PortmanySant Antoni de Portmany
Sant Antoni de Portmany is a town on the western coast of Ibiza. It is the second-largest town and municipality in Ibiza; an island described by Time Out magazine as "arguably the clubbing capital of the universe"...
and the local population needed a church some what closer to there homes. In 1726 the inhabitants of the area then named es Vedrans and Benimussa asked the archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
, Manuel de Samaniego y Jaca, who was visiting the island, to approved the building of a new church. The archbishop agreed to this request and on the 15th August 1729 the first mass was held on the site.
Construction
A master builder from DeniaDénia
Dénia is a city in the province of Alicante, Spain, on the Costa Blanca halfway between Alicante and Valencia, the judicial seat of the comarca of Marina Alta...
in province of Alicante, called Pere Ferro, was employed as construction supervisor in 1730 and construction began. Master Pere Ferro had a good reputation and had previously been employed by Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...
to work on the renovations of cathedral of Santa Maria de Eivissa in the capital. The master builder was assisted by members of the local families in the construction. Even the women and young girls of the village lent a hand by carrying water from the "Font des Verger" well to the site. In 1731 the last keystone was laid in the vaulted roof which marked the completion of the church. The church which had been dedicated to Saint Joseph and in 1785 it became the Parish church.
Visiting
The Parish Church of Sant Josep de sa Talaia is one of the most popular churches to visit on the island. Many holidaymakers find there way here as part of official island tours. Unfortunately many of the churches original religious art works where damaged or destroyed in the violence of the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
of 1936. The wooden baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style pulpit did survive and dates from between 1761 and 1763. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is decorated with a representation of the mysteries and was painted by Josep Sánchez Ocaria of Mallorca. Despite the damage to the churches artefacts the Patrimony Department and the Saint Joseph parish continue an on going program of restoration work to the works of art. Two such restored works are a statue of Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
the mother of the Virgin Mary and a painting of the Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the , when he presents a scourged Jesus Christ, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his Crucifixion. The original Greek is Ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄνθρωπος . The King James Version translates the phrase...
by Sánchez de Ocaña.
The church has a single Nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
which has a barrel vaulted roof. The walls to the side of the nave have several smaller chapels.
Tourism
The Municipality contains within its boundary more than 24,000 hotel beds some most of which can be found in the two main resorts of Platja d'en BossaPlaya d'en Bossa
Platja d'en Bossa is a major holiday resort on the Spanish island of Ibiza primarily catering for the British and German package holiday market...
and Cala de Bou on San Antonio Bay. Playa d'en Bossa, ia also were there are many of Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
's famous clubs such as Space
Space (Ibiza nightclub)
Space is a nightclub on Ibizaowned bi STANCA. It was awarded "Best Global Club" at the International Dance Music Awards in 2005 and again in 2006...
and DC10
DC10 (nightclub)
DC10 is a nightclub on the island of Ibiza in the Mediterranean. It is located in a converted finca off the end of the airport runway on the South-East side of the island. Located in a former airplane hangar, the covered terrace nightclub holds 1,500 revelers....
is located just south of Ibiza Town
Ibiza Town
Ibiza Town is a city and municipality located on the southeast coast of the island of Ibiza in the Balearic Islands autonomous community. Although called Ibiza in English and Spanish, the official name is in Catalan Eivissa and its inhabitants call it Vila d'Eivissa or simply Vila...
and near Ibiza Airport
Ibiza Airport
Ibiza Airport is the airport serving the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Formentera in Spain, used by 95% of all people who arrive at or depart from these two islands...
at Platja des Codolar.
Villages
The municipality encompasses the following towns and villages:| Town/village | Population (2006) |
|---|---|
| Cubells | 807 |
| Sant Agustí des Vedrà | 6,918 |
| Sant Francesc de s'Estany | 1,110 |
| Sant Jordi de ses Salines | 8,048 |
| Sant Josep de sa Talaia | 2,341 |