| Sant Josep de sa Talaia | |
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| — Municipality and town — | |
| Municipal location | |
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Sant Josep de sa Talaia
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Balearic Islands |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 19,224 |
| • Density | 412.8/sq mi (159.4/km2) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Website | Town council website |
Sant Josep de sa Talaia (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsaɲ ʒuˈzɛb də sə təˈɫajə], Spanish: San José Obrero) is a small town and municipality of the Balearic Islands in western Ibiza. The town is 10.7 miles west of the capital Eivissa and is Located on the PM803 highway between Eivissa town and Sant Antoni de Portmany. The town is 6.5 miles from the islands airport.[1] As of 2006, the population of the municipality was 19,224.
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The municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia is situated in the southwest of the island and is bordered with the municipalities of Vila d'Eivissa and Sant Antoni de Portmany.[2] The territory was created after the joining to quartons. Previouse to this the island Ibiza had been divided into four quartons following the Catalan conquest in 1229.[3] Within the municipal boundary can be found some of the most emblematic sights of Ibiza. There is the Salines Nature Park and its sea grass meadows, and the Vendranell Nature Reserve and Es Vedrà a spectacular extinct volcano a short distance offshore. It is claimed that Es Vedrà is one of the most magnetic place on Earth.[4] Also within the boundaries are the remains of Phoenician settlement called Sa Caleta[3] which along with Vendranell Nature Reserve are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Sa Talaiassa, the highest point on the island, is also located within the municipal boundary.
In the early years of the 17th century the population of municipality had grown considerably. At this time the nearest place of worship was at Sant Antoni de Portmany and the local population needed a church some what closer to their homes.[5] In 1726 the inhabitants of the area then named es Vedrans and Benimussa asked the archbishop of Tarragona, Manuel de Samaniego y Jaca, who was visiting the island, to approved the building of a new church. The archbishop agreed to this request and on the 15th August 1729 the first mass was held on the site.
A master builder from Denia in province of Alicante, called Pere Ferro,[5] was employed as construction supervisor in 1730 and construction began. Master Pere Ferro had a good reputation and had previously been employed by Pope Pius VI to work on the renovations of cathedral of Santa Maria de Eivissa in the capital. The master builder was assisted by members of the local families in the construction.[5] Even the women and young girls of the village lent a hand by carrying water from the "Font des Verger" well to the site.[5] In 1731 the last keystone was laid in the vaulted roof which marked the completion of the church. The church which had been dedicated to Saint Joseph and in 1785 it became the Parish church.[5]
The Parish Church of Sant Josep de sa Talaia is one of the most popular churches to visit on the island. Many holidaymakers find their way here as part of official island tours. Unfortunately many of the churches original religious art works where damaged or destroyed in the violence of the Spanish Civil War of 1936. The wooden baroque style pulpit did survive and dates from between 1761 and 1763. The pulpit is decorated with a representation of the mysteries and was painted by Josep Sánchez Ocaria of Mallorca. Despite the damage to the churches artefacts the Patrimony Department and the Saint Joseph parish continue an on going program of restoration work to the works of art. Two such restored works are a statue of Saint Anne the mother of the Virgin Mary and a painting of the Ecce Homo by Sánchez de Ocaña. The church has a single Nave which has a barrel vaulted roof. The walls to the side of the nave have several smaller chapels.
The Municipality contains within its boundary more than 24,000 hotel beds some most of which can be found in the two main resorts of Platja d'en Bossa and Cala de Bou on San Antonio Bay. Playa d'en Bossa, is also were there are many of Ibiza's famous clubs such as Space and DC10 is located just south of Ibiza Town and near Ibiza Airport at Platja des Codolar.
The municipality encompasses the following towns and villages:
| Town/village | Population (2006) |
|---|---|
| Cubells | 807 |
| Sant Agustí des Vedrà | 6,918 |
| Sant Francesc de s'Estany | 1,110 |
| Sant Jordi de ses Salines | 8,048 |
| Sant Josep de sa Talaia | 2,341 |