The Resilient Obelisk: Ciutadella's Monument to a Turkish Invasion

The Obelisk, known as ‘sa piràmide’, stands in the Plaça des Born of Ciutadella, Menorca. Designed by Josep Mas i Llufriu in 1857, the neoclassical monument measures 22 meters in height. It stands among several important buildings of the old Citadella, including the Renaissance Martorell, the Neoclassic Torre-Saura, the Palau Salort, the theatre des Born, the City Hall (old Alcazar) of Ciutadella, the Mirador over the port of Ciutadella, and the Church of San Francesc (13th century).

The obelisk was constructed to commemorate the Year of Sa Desgràcia, a reference to the Turkish invasion of 1558. The Turkish invasion resulted in the total destruction of Ciutadella, with over 3,000 people killed or captured. Markets are held every Friday and Saturday at its base.

The monument has inscriptions that read, ‘Here we resisted, for the altar and the hearth, until death.’ However, the restoration of the Obelisk, carried out in 2009 for over 50,000 euros, faced criticism for the techniques used, allegedly disregarding historical materials.

Four inscriptions in Latin adorn the base of the Obelisk, proclaiming ‘Here we resisted, for the altar and the hearth, until death.’

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons