What you did not know about Puig de Missa

The church of Santa Eulària, also known as church of Puig de Missa, dates back from the 16th century. However, there are indications that there was already an earlier church in the same place. It is located on a hill that is 52 metres above sea level and boasts extraordinary views. The church and its surroundings are catalogued as a protected cultural heritage site (BIC), and are located within the Quartó de Xarc, which already existed at the time of Arab domination. As well as its religious and social function, it was key in the lives of Santa Eulària residents, as communiqués of all types were read there and people gathered under its porch to chat. It is one of Ibiza’s four fortified churches. From Puig de Missa the Eastern maritime pass was controled, the fields were defended, in particular the mills that were along the lower part of the river.
Its present appearance is the result of various additions and renovations. It is believed that the nave belongs to the original structure, and that at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, they added other chapels, the porch and constructions like the vicar’s house, the priest’s house and the sacristy. The inside is sober. The main altarpiece is barroque and the central image, representing Sanata Eulària, is contemporary (1940). Another highlight is the Christ tied to a column, from the 17th century. The large porch, which is not centred with respect to the axis of the church, has within it two rows of arched columns, and gives access also to the cemetery.