Es Castell
Encyclopedia
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in eastern Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
in the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The town was founded in 1771 by British Col. Patrick Mackellar and was originally called Georgetown in honour of King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, however it takes its current name from the large fort nearby, known to the British as St. Philip's Castle
St. Philip's Castle
St. Philip's Castle was a fortress guarding the entrance to the port of Mahón...
. Col. Patrick Mackellar (Argyllshire 1717-1778) was the chief engineer of Minorca and his house today is known as Son Granot. Es Castell celebrates its Foundation Day on 1 June with 18th century themed festivities, in which the Municipality itself, St. Philip's Castle Foundation, Son Granot and other institutions participate.