A noble house in Dalt Vila that is today the city mayor’s office
Can Botino house, located at the beginning of the street Carrer Pere Tur, was built in the mid-17th century by Genoese builders for a family of Italian merchants. The builders seem to have been the same ones who worked on the Convent Church.
The building is an almost unique example of classical Renaissance architecture in Eivissa. It is a three-storey detached building with three facades facing the street. The fourth, located on the west side of the house looks onto a garden.
The main entrance is in Santa Maria Street (Carrer Santa María), although the most important and most prominent facade of the building is the north one. The balconies and windows are harmoniously positioned and it is the symmetry of their shapes and decorative features that stand out the most. The exterior structure does not seem to have undergone any alterations that divert significantly from the original design.
The property, also known as Can Montero, was acquired by Eivissa City Council and the Island Council for 172 million pesetas. Its renovation, which was very costly due to the state in which the building was found, was funded by the Eivissa World Heritage Consortium and came to more than 3.6 million euros.
Today, Can Botino is home to the hall in which the City Council holds the plenary sessions, the City’s Historic Archives, the mayor’s offices and other institutional administrative services. Thanks to this renovation, the city has gained a new historic building which all the citizens can enjoy and that was almost converted into a block of luxury apartments by private property developers.