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The typical home in Formentera cannot be described but in two different times: on the one hand, plane roof houses of the 18th century that have survived until the end of the 19th century and, on the other hand, double level teules (tiles) houses. These two styles, although with similar interior distribution, offer a very different external appearance.
The first type of house was introduced by the first inhabitants of Ibiza during the 18th century. This type of houses in Formentera were simpler and more austere than those constructed in Ibiza at that time. This type of house consisted basically of a large room called "porxo" and, on one side of this room, a big fireplace that was used for cooking. At the bottom and separated by a door, two rooms that were used as two bedrooms. This house's walls were built with stones and mud. The roof was supported by savin logs over which there was a layer of thin planks of the same wood called "tegell" covered by a marine algae layer, very useful as insulator,and, finally, also some layers of soil and a last mud ("argila") layer, very useful as waterproof covering, thus avoiding that rain water could come in.
Tile architecture provides a similar distribution to that of the above described houses (the only difference is that, according to this type of building, the windows are a little bit larger), but algae and mud layers have been replaced with double level layers ("doble vesant") of wooden boards and tiles on the top. It was usual to use "mares" (a type of sandy stone which abounds in Formentera) for building these houses, especially for the windows and inside partitions. An original constructive element that characterizes this type of houses is "l'enramada", made of the same material as the rest of the roof and located at the front part of the house to shelter the entrance from sun and rain.
Casa Rural.
Although they are not big architectural works, we cannot forget the dry stone walls and chapel cisterns, since they characterize Formentera's landscape. Those walls, stretched out along the whole island, have been built during several centuries with the purpose of separating different properties that belonged to different families of Formentera. The great number of existing chapel cisterns makes of this construction an also very important and characteristic element at the landscape of the island.
Churches: The oldest building dedicated to religious service is Capella de Sa Tanca Vella, formerly called Capella de Sant Valero. It is a small room built over a rectangular plan with a "mig canó" turning vault. The original construction was carried out in the 14th century, as the archbishop of those days allowed the building work because he thought that the inhabitants of Formentera were isolated and very far from the parish of Santa Maria d'Eivissa (the current cathedral of Ibiza).
Paret típica de pedra seca
As Formentera began to undergo a repopulation during the 18th century, the Chapel of Sa Tanca Vella started to get too small. Therefore, on the 15th of May of 1726, the building work of the new Church of Sant Francesc Xavier began. It was inaugurated in 1738. At the first stage, this church was conceived as fortification (in fact, it served as a warehouse for artillery pieces until around 1830). This building consists of one single rectangular nave, fairly long, covered by a "mig canó" turning vault. The parochial house is situated just above this vault and this fact determines the great height of this building at the back. Entrance doors stand out. They are covered with iron sheets, which make them more resistant.
The second church in chronological order is the Church of La Mola, inaugurated in 1784. This church is the one out of all the churches in Formentera which was built almost in the traditional style of Ibiza, with white external walls. This church also consists of one single nave covered by a vault which is similar to that of St. Francesc Xavier. This church, however, is much smaller and has the parochial house on one side.
The most recent church is the Church of Sant Ferran de Ses Roques, which by around 1890 had been finished. It rises over a Latin cross plan formed by two deep chapels situated at both sides of the altar. The roof is covered similarly to every church in Formentera. This is the smallest out of the existing three churches of the island.
Torre de defensa
Defence towers: Those towers in Formentera that have survived the passing time were built during the 18th century as vigilance points along the coast in order to warn of shipping incursions. The oldest tower is Sa Guardiola, located in the island of Es Palmador, which was built between 1749 and 1750. Later on the other towers were built: Punta Prima, La Gavina, Es Cap de Barbaria and Es Pi D'Es Catala. All of them have a similar structure: circular plan that is wider at the lower part and narrower at the top. The entrance door is situated at the second level in order to make the access difficult. The hollows are tiny windows and the walls, fairly thick, were built with a composition of stones and mortar.
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