This morning, November 15, the preliminary project for the
Talayotic Menorca Interpretation Centre was presented in the Plaza de la Catedral in Ciutadella, a facility that will be the island's reference point on the World Heritage of Talayotic Menorca. The inauguration date depends on the architectural rehabilitation of the building, which is expected to be completed in July 2026. Therefore, the centre could be up and running by November 2026.
The presentation took place today, taking advantage of the proximity of International World Heritage Day (16 November), and was attended by the president of the Consell Insular de Menorca, Adolfo Vilafranca; the conseller of Cultural Affairs and president of the Talayotic Menorca Agency, Joan Pons; the island's director of Cultural Affairs, Jaume Reurer; and the director of the Talayotic Menorca Agency, Antoni Ferrer.
President Vilafranca stated that ‘the centre will become
an innovative and accessible point of reference, which will add value to the island's cultural offerings and allow for an attractive and complete understanding of its rich historical legacy. It is an investment in our identity and in the projection of Menorca as a top-level cultural destination’. For his part, the conseller of Cultural Affairs stressed that ‘this project will not only enhance the value of our island's millenary history, but will also be a place of reference for Menorcan culture and a meeting point for the transmission of knowledge’.
The Interpretation Centre of Talayotic Menorca will be located in the historic centre of Ciutadella, at number 5 of the Plaza de la Catedral, specifically where the headquarters of the General University of Menorca used to be located and where the well-known SAVI hardware store opened in 1940. The entrance will be on Carrer de Sant Geroni and will integrate the old cobblestones from when this space was an alley (Carreró d'en Girondell), discovered during the previous archaeological digs.
Its two main goals are:
- To provide the local and foreign public with the necessary background knowledge to properly understand Menorca's cultural landscape and the archaeological remains of Menorca's prehistory.
- To create a welcoming space for Talayotic Menorca as a World Heritage Site, providing practical information about the existing resources and encouraging their discovery.
An innovative facility
The new centre will be presented as an interactive and accessible space that celebrates the island's historical heritage. Designed to welcome all audiences, it will offer an
innovative and participatory exhibition experience, combining digital and analogue elements, adapted to visitors of all ages.
The museographic approach of the centre respects the original architecture of the building, maintaining open spaces and without adding physical divisions, allowing a complete perception of the environment.
The story
The proposed narrative
emphasises the reasons or criteria for which Talayotic Menorca was declared a World Heritage Site. To emphasise the importance of these criteria, the centre will present a discourse around three main aspects:
1. The architecture.
2. The landscape.
3. Talayotic culture in its deepest sense.
The visit experience has been designed to be participative and accessible, with resources such as audiovisuals, games, diagrams and models, offering a complete immersion in the contents in a pleasant and not extensive way, with a suggested duration of 60 minutes. In addition, maximum accessibility is guaranteed, including texts in Braille, tactile exploration and an audio-video guide system in Catalan, Spanish, French and English, with subtitles and audio descriptions for people with visual or hearing disabilities.