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When you’re on holiday in Menorca, lounging around on the beach, eating a great meal or enjoying the island’s scenery, it’s hard to imagine that this peaceful, laid back island has, over the centuries, been the scene of many political and military struggles. Maybe you know that the island was once occupied by the Moors and the French, but did you know that once we, that’s the Brits, also ruled the island? The Museo Militar de Menorca in Es Castell. To the south east of Mahon, the island’s capital, is the small town of Es Castell. Set on the banks of the estuary that connects Mahon to the Mediterranean, Es Castell is also home to a museum that tells the tale of the island’s tumultuous history – the Museo Militar de Menorca. Museo Militar opened its doors in 1981 and contains an interesting and varied collection of exhibits. Housed in a building built by the British in 1771 when they occupied the Island for the second time, the red brick construction is easily recognisable by the large cannon at the front. After the British left, the building housed a military hospital and was the home barracks for Menorca’s coastal regiment, the Cala Corp, until it was converted into a museum. Today it is one of five military museums/sites across the island. These include: La Mola, San Felipe, Torre d’en Penjat, the military museum and San Felipet and all are well worth a visit during your holiday in Menorca. What’s on Display? While not the size of London’s Imperial War Museum or the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, Museo Militar does offer us a unique opportunity to get a comprehensive and interesting picture of the island’s various occupiers and military struggles. It occupies two floors of the building. The first floor has eleven rooms, a library, an audio visual centre and the museums offices. The theme of this floor is military history and concentrates on the various powers that, at one time or another, occupied the island until, in 1892, the Treaty of Amiens awarded the island to Spain. The ground floor has six rooms holding a collection of cannons and other army equipment that visitors often find extremely interesting. Don’t miss the incredible introductory video presentation (it’s in English as well as other languages). It will prepare you for what you are about to see and increase your enjoyment of the visit. Getting There The museum is pretty much in the centre of town, just to the south west of the Placa de S’Esplanada. It’s open between September to May on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the first Sunday of every month. June to August it’s open Monday to Friday and the first Sunday of each month. Opening hours are 10:00 a.m. to 13:00 p.m. and entry is only 3 euros (Senior Citizens 1.5 euro). If you’re a history buff, or just want to get out of the sun or see something different during your holiday in Menorca, then we thoroughly recommend a visit to the museum. Author Plate Brenda Jaaback, Managing Director of Bartle Holidays, is a renowned Menorca expert. From its history to its people and from its wildlife to its cuisine - no secret of the island remains hidden to her. Personally selecting the finest properties for her clients, Brenda is the go-to person for anyone planning relaxing holidays in Menorca. Bartle Holidays makes no warranty as to the accuracy of information contained in this article and excludes any liability of any kind for the information.
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