The Consell de Formentera archive has acquired documents from 1743 and 1804 related to the Martí family's alleged claims to Formentera. Raquel Guasch, councillor of heritage, cast the newly incorporated documents as "proof that the Consell de Formentera achive is actively engaged in conservation and in growing its documentary collection".

The Martís' claim to the island has roots in a 1453 bequeathal by Alfonso the Magnanimous, King of Aragon, of the then undivided fourth part of Formentera, an uninhabited island at that time, to Ibizan Joan Martí. King Alfonso imposed certain conditions, like construction a new fortress and a ban on trading of salt harvested on the island. Joan Martí was royal prosecutor on Eivissa, but the University of Eivissa and Formentera strongly protested the bequeathal and the king revoked it the following year. Years later, Francisco Martí, likely Francisco Martí Torres, son of Sebastià, doctor in laws (1695-1781), sought to prove his lineage with the 15th-century Joan Martí with a view to recovering his ancestor's claim to Formentera.

Documents make reference to the construction of a tower on S'Espalmador predating the structure which currently stands at the site. Interviews with Eivissa residents were also included in an effort to demonstrate the tower was indeed built and that a house in Dalt Vila conserved the Martí family's coat of arms.

The Consell de Formentera archive holds documentation tied to official functions and powers, especially when these were restricted to those of an ajuntament. Among the oldest documents on file are from the civil registry and justice of the peace. The Consell de Formentera archive is divided into two sections: Historical (until 1980) and the Administrative (1980 onwards).

Consultation hours are 8.30am to 2.00pm, Monday to Friday. Visits can be scheduled by sending an e-mail to arxiu@conselldeformentera.cat and indicating which documents an individual wishes to consult.

7 September 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera