Ángel Roca (Barcelona, 1948), who moved to Madrid at an early age, began his studies at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Madrid during the tumultuous years preceding the democratic transition, leaving the program in his third year. His entire professional career has been in the fields of architecture and design.
A photography enthusiast since youth, he has contributed photographs to the Madrid Architecture Guide (Official College of Architects of Madrid) and to the Spanish section of the European project Les temps des gares, focusing on railway stations (Ministry of Culture/Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris), among other projects.
Since 2009, he has been a member of the board of the Societat Històrico-Arqueològica Martí i Bella (SHAMB), later becoming its president. He has developed an extensive career linked to the promotion, study, and restoration of Menorcan heritage through conferences, articles, congresses, publications, and extensive volunteer work in the restoration of ethnological heritage. He has collaborated with cultural institutions and heritage organizations on the island in projects aimed at dissemination, protection, and restoration.
His latest work, the book
Menorca. Culture of Stone, synthesizes decades of personal and professional interest in the constructive, landscape, and cultural elements associated with stone on the island. This publication offers a broad and well-documented perspective on the multiple aspects that make up this legacy: construction techniques, traditional trades, specific terminology, and heritage assets that constitute the physical and symbolic landscape of Menorca. On the occasion of the recent release of the book, we spoke with the author to delve into the objectives, creative process, and vision underpinning this editorial project, which contributes to the appreciation of Menorcan cultural identity.
Firstly, what led you to undertake this ambitious editorial project on the culture of stone in Menorca?
My first residence in Ciutadella was Montefí. The Talayotic settlement and the marés quarries, before the recovery process initiated by Líthica—of which I have been a member since its inception—were my immediate surroundings, and I often walked through these areas, discovering a world that was unknown and attractive to me. In my early days on the island, I spent a lot of time exploring it, visiting other archaeological sites, and especially the area around Punta Nati, which left a lasting impression on me with its desolate, stony landscape and incredible dry-stone constructions.
During my professional life, I was fortunate to collaborate on projects involving historic buildings, such as the Cathedral, the Castell de Sant Nicolau, and the old Municipal Hospital of Ciutadella. These projects allowed me to gain firsthand knowledge of marés and its construction peculiarities, guided by experienced masters.
Since joining SHAMB in 2009, I have deepened my knowledge of Menorcan history and prehistory during very intense years of activities related to archaeology and heritage. The GIBET Project (Intervention Group on Ethnological Assets), a volunteer initiative started by SHAMB in 2009—which I have been part of since its inception and remain active in today—has provided me with a profound understanding of dry-stone techniques and characteristics through hands-on practice.
These aspects of my life have given me a panoramic view of the stone arts in Menorca. Shared with the editor and photographers Carlos Roca and Fernando Madariaga, we considered that it might be interesting to create a publication to disseminate this heritage. Some of my friends joke that this work was destined due to my surname.
Your book covers four millennia of the relationship between Menorca and stone. What do you consider the most significant historical milestones in this journey?
Personally, I advocate for a comprehensive perspective. However, if we adhere to the book's division between Talayotic culture, dry stone, and marés, I would highlight the Naveta des Tudons, Torre d’en Galmés, and Son Catlar in prehistory; the large barracks of Punta Nati regarding dry-stone ethnological heritage; and, concerning marés architecture, the Cathedral of Ciutadella, the Lazareto of Maó, La Mola, and the large convent complexes of the 17th and 18th centuries, not forgetting quarries like s’Hostal in Ciutadella or Robadones in Maó.
What role does Talayotic architecture play in this narrative? How does it fit within the broader context of Menorca's stone culture?
Undoubtedly,
the prehistoric remains that constitute Talayotic Menorca are the crown jewels of the island's stone culture. The incredible quantity and excellent state of preservation of this heritage have led to its recent inclusion in the World Heritage List.
The cataloged archaeological sites on the island (around 1,500) still have many surprises to offer. Despite the enormous efforts made by the Consell Insular and both local and foreign archaeologists in recent years, many sites have yet to be excavated. The data provided and to be provided in the future by interventions in settlements and collective burial caves—regarding origin, customs, beliefs, and genetics—are fundamental to deepening our understanding of Menorca's prehistory. It's a fascinating world.
One of the highlights of the work is the recovery of the specific vocabulary of trades linked to stone. How was the process of documenting and compiling this traditional lexicon?
Obviously, I had to read extensively on the topics included in the publication. The bibliography lists some recommended books for delving into the various subjects. However, direct interaction with paredadors, trencadors, araders, or mestres de cases has contributed the most to my understanding of these trades. The book aims to draw attention to these professions that lack generational succession for their continuity.
What sources—archival, oral, bibliographic, or graphic—were key in the research process? Were there any unexpected discoveries during this process?
When delving into a topic using the sources you mentioned, unknown aspects always emerge. However, due to my long-standing relationship with the subject of the book, I haven't encountered substantial discoveries. It's been a long journey of knowledge.
In your opinion, how has the culture of stone influenced the shaping of Menorcan identity beyond the architectural or landscape realm?
The imprint left in Menorca over the centuries through stonework in its various forms is evident. One cannot imagine the island's landscape without the
omnipresence of dry-stone walls (over 11,000 km), talayots, or the scattered barracas throughout the territory. These elements, combined with customs and traditions, have acquired an identity value, and without them, Menorca would be very different.
The collective effort required to create this heritage, seen as a whole, has been a titanic task for transforming the environment, developed over time since the first settlers with the aim of improving living conditions.
What significance does marés hold within the Menorcan construction universe? Could you discuss its use over time and its current heritage value?
Marés has been the quintessential construction material on the island. Its abundance and qualities made it indispensable in construction until the second half of the 20th century when prefabricated materials emerged, which, due to their characteristics and cost, have gradually relegated the use of marés and wood in construction activities.
Due to lack of demand and environmental restrictions, marés quarries have been closing. Currently, the only active quarry on the island is in Ciutadella and primarily supplies restoration works. The future use of this material is very uncertain.
In the contemporary context, how do you assess the transmission of trades related to dry stone and the risk of losing this ancestral knowledge?
The cycle of stonework described in the book concluded in the mid-20th century. The drastic reduction of traditional construction arts has led to the
irreparable loss of trades linked to tradition.
The last
arader of Ciutadella closed his workshop a few months ago. The same has happened with the
trencadors; with the mechanical extraction of marés, their trade disappeared years ago. The
paredadors, although fewer in number, have persisted due to the demand for dry-stone walls. The aim is to leave a living memory of these trades that have contributed so much to present-day Menorca.
Today, Menorca is a Biosphere Reserve and aspires to establish itself as a cultural destination linked to its Talayotic heritage. What role can the culture of stone play in this strategy of territorial enhancement?
Despite its small territory, Menorca possesses evident values: the purity of its landscape, its status as a Biosphere Reserve—having resisted the tourist development of the 1970s; the Talayotic culture, recently recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site; the 2018 recognition by the same organization of the dry-stone construction technique as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; an extensive volume of dry-stone walls and monumental constructions for livestock; and a notable array of defensive, religious, civil constructions, or urban centers like Maó and Ciutadella (declared historical-artistic ensembles since 1964). These examples demonstrate the close relationship between the culture of stone and the revaluation of the territory.
The book edition is multilingual (Spanish, Catalan, English, and French). How important is this approach for the international projection of a heritage that, until now, has been mostly local?
The multilingual nature of the book was decided in consideration of the large number of visitors from different nationalities that Menorca receives throughout the year. The goal is to reach the widest possible readership to raise awareness of an insular culture that sometimes remains distant from tourist circuits. It's a tool to make our heritage known and valued.
Finally, what do you hope the reader—whether Menorcan or visitor—will discover or appreciate after reading Menorca. Culture of Stone?
For the Menorcan reader, the book's content will be familiar, although I have no doubt they will find a good amount of interesting and unknown information about their surroundings. The text, though highly synthesized, contains extensive and balanced information on the different areas of stone culture in Menorca, aiming to offer the reader—a Menorcan or visitor—a panoramic and well-documented view of an activity that has left a profound mark on the island, considering that this heritage is currently quite inaccessible due to being located on private estates.