One of Formentera's four defence towers, the one located in the es Pi des Català area of the island was, like its three counterparts, erected between 1762 and 1763 in strategic locations which where determined by Francisco de Paula Bucarelli y Ursúa, the then general captain of the Balearic Islands. The project was carried out under the guidance of military engineer José García Martínez. The constructions were used both for defence and –as was most often the case– surveillance until 1867.
Bearing the form of a truncated cone, the tower was built upon a circular foundation and is divided into three floors. A gunpowder arsenal is located on the ground level, as is a section of ample floor space which was previously occupied by a stone staircase that united the ground floor with the central chamber of the tower. An aperture in the chamber wall was converted into what is today the main tower entrance, a feature that has permitted the tower's opening for public visit. The first floor is also the site of the original entrance, situated above ground level for questions of defence and protected by a machicolation and by a vertical conduit. Initially, the two elements had the additional safeguard of a watchtower, of which little more than a trace remains today upon the floor. Access to the upper platform is gained by a spiral staircase.
How to get there:
Venda des Pi des Català (map)
From November to May, visits must be arranged to appointment by email: coneixpatrimoni@conselldeformentera.cat
Free admission
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