Maó Town Hall

Monuments | Maó - Mahón

The present Maó Town Hall building, popularly known as La Sala, is located in the same place as the former Universitat, the organ of local government until 1835. From the mid-14th century Maó was a municipality or Universitat, albeit dependent on the General Universitat of Menorca, based in Ciutadella. For many years the Universitat of Maó did not have its own headquarters. At an undefined moment a modest building was built to house the municipal institution in Carrer Nou, and in 1613 it moved to its current location, near the parish Church of Santa Maria. Of the original building only the structure of the cellars and part of the distribution of the ground floor remain, due to the comprehensive alterations carried out in the late 18th century, which resulted in today’s building. The increasing military and economic importance of Maó throughout the 17th century and above all in the 18th century was paralleled in politics. In 1640 the Universitat of Maó managed to free itself of the tutelage of the General Universitat of Menorca. Under British rule, the Universitat General was rendered totally inoperative. As a result, although Ciutadella continued to be the capital of Menorca in name, in practice the Universitat of Maó became the most influential municipality on the island. In 1788, during the Spanish era, the Universitat of Maó wished to have a headquarters worthy of its importance, and the military engineer Francisco Fernández de Angulo was commissioned to renovate the building. The most striking element is the southern façade, characterized by three large archways that led to a large vestibule. The clock tower, which was brought here from London in 1731 by order of the British governor Richard Kane, rises up over the central archway. The lateral façade is divided into different sections delimited by pilasters. Highlights of the top floor are the original ox eye windows and the coat of arms of Spain which finishes the axis of the lateral façade.