Castle of Santa Àgueda

File:Roman road of Santa Agueda.jpg

Roman road of Santa Àgueda

The Castle of Santa Àgueda (Arabized: Sent Agaiz) is found in the municipality of Ferreries, Minorca. It is situated over an elongated plateau, called Santa Àgueda, 264 m above sea level. It is the third highest point in the island behind Monte Toro (358 m) and S'Esclusa (275 m). The castle is accessed by an ancient Roman road. Next to the castle there was also, until recently, a chapel dedicated to Saint Agatha.

History

The Castle of Santa Àgueda was built over an ancient Roman castra by the Arabs, when Manûrqa (Minorca) was part of the Caliph of Cordoba. The exact date of its construction is not known, but it was prior to 1232. In 1287, it became the last standpoint of resistance by the Arab inhabitants when the island was invaded by King Alfonso III of Aragon. The castle was later destroyed by Alfonso's grand-nephew King Peter IV of Aragon around 1343. The Castle of Santa Àgueda (2006) is in ruins. There is a project by the local insular government, Plan Especial de Protección de Santa Àgueda (PEP) (2004), to rehabilitate and refurbish Santa Àgueda.

File:Ruins of Santa Àgueda.jpg

Ruins of Santa Àgueda

The Consell Insular de Menorca, Minorca's Island Council, announced on the 17 January 2007 the acquisition of the castle from its former private owners, this coincided with Minorca's National Day, the same day that the island was conquered by Alfons III of Aragon.

External links

• (Spanish) Santa Águeda in castillosnet.org
• (Catalan) Images and history of Santa Àgueda
• (English) The Archaeology of Minorca