A tribute by the people of Ibiza to the corsairs who defended their coastline
The obelisk that pays tribute to the corsairs is located in the port and is unique in that the only other similar monument in existence is that constructed by the English in tribute to the famous buccaneer Francis Drake.
The monument is the work of Catalan architect Augusto Font and was inaugurated in 1915 as a tribute by the people of Ibiza to the corsairs who risked their lives so often in defence of the local population. The first stone, however, was laid in 1906, on the 100th anniversary of the victory of the schooner San Antonio and Santa Isabela, captained by Antonio Riquer, over the Felicity, a vessel displaying the flag of Gibraltar and captained by the famous pirate of the time, Miguel Novelli, alias ‘El Papa’. Although the latter carried a British ‘letter of marque’ and was far superior in armaments and crew number, the fierce Ibizan sailors attacked with their notorious «bottles of fire» and succeeded in capturing it.