The emblematic cannon of the Plaza Isidor Macabich, one of the most recognizable historical elements of Santa Eulària des Riu, has been removed this Tuesday by the City Council to undergo a comprehensive restoration process. Early in the morning, municipal workers removed the piece from the ground and loaded it on a truck for its transfer to municipal facilities, where it will remain while the intervention is being carried out.
The restoration process will include a superficial cleaning, followed by a deeper mechanical and manual cleaning in the areas that present alterations. Subsequently, a protective coating will be applied to the entire surface, both inside and outside, to ensure its long-term conservation. Once the work is completed, the cannon will be returned to its location in the square, where it will be installed on a new support structure designed to prevent damage and acts of incivility.
The City Council explains that this action seeks to strengthen the protection and public appreciation of a key piece of local heritage, in addition to improving the information available about its origin and history. The consistory recalls that the cannon has suffered in recent years several minor aggressions and a remarkable wear due to its exposure to the open air.
The piece, of great historical interest, is a bronze cannon cast in Naples in the first half of the 17th century by Giovanni Battista Giordani. According to available research, it was part of the armament of a Spanish ship sunk off the coast of Santa Eulària, at an undetermined date in the same century. The cannon was found on the seabed, at the mouth of the Santa Eulària river, on May 8, 1975.
After its recovery, the piece was installed in the Plaza Isidor Macabich on June 15, 1976, where it has remained since then as part of the Archaeological Museum of Ibiza and Formentera (MAEF), with inventory number 5381. Among its most outstanding details are the coat of arms of Philip IV and Pedro Cortes de Armenteros, captain general of the artillery of Naples in the seventeenth century.
With this intervention, Santa Eulària seeks to preserve one of the most unique elements of its historical heritage and ensure that its history remains accessible to residents and visitors for decades to come.
