Santa Monica is in the Es Migjorn Gran area of Menorca and is surrounded by historical monuments and traces of the island’s long history.
A postcard of the well in front of the house, from which is pumped natural spring water to the taps, baths and showers in the house was printed and widely sold from the late 1970s until a few places in the 1980s.
In guides to Menorca, Santa Monica’s well features prominently, as well as this mention about the four houses in the area built by a convent in Ciutadella, where ceilings of similar designs can still be seen.
In a valley close to Bini Gaus beach in the Barranc (valley) Bini Gaus is an ancient cave the size of a cathedral, accessed on foot from the top of the hill above the beach.
Very close to the house is a talaiot, an ancient fortress accessible from the house-side via some trees and it also has a small tunnel leading up inside.
Talaiots (or talayots) were built by people who lived on the island around 3,000 years ago and were probably used for defence, look out and as a beacon communication system across the island, suggested by the high positions where they are located, each distantly visible from the ones either side.
There is a painting of Santa Monica in front of the house on your left when you enter the village church. It is part of a triptych of three saints associated with Menorca’s older houses.
On a quirky note: the entry for Santa Monica in California, named in the 1820s, on Wikipedia says:
“It remains slightly curious that the City of Santa Monica (together with the canyon, bay, mountains, boulevard, airport and freeway) is named for a natural feature not actually within its borders. The name for the springs has since reverted to Kuruvungna (“the place where we are in the sun”), which is what the Tongva People have called them all along. The springs remain sacred to the Tongva People.”[4]
This seems rather fitting as Santa Monica, Menorca, has a natural spring and is “the place where we are in the sun” to this day.
More Talayots, caves and old walkways to Bini Gaus and San Adeodato from Sta Monica can be found on this blog about the surrounding area and its ancient features.
Santa Monica 