Menorcan Heritage Celebration

The Minorcan Heritage Celebration 2023 marks the anniversary of the Menorcans’ arrival to St. Augustine on March 4th from 11 AM to 2 PM at the Oldest House Museum Complex, featuring traditional foods, music, dancing, and more.

Descendants from the original Menorcans in St. Augustine will share dances, songs, stories, and crafts, as well as family photos and Minorcan family crests.

Enjoy delicious variations of pilau (pronounced per-low), Minorcan chowder, and fromajadas — a small pastry made with spiced pie dough and filled with a cheese and egg mixture. Datil pepper sauce, jellies, and a variety of baked goods will also be available for purchase.

HISTORY

In 1777 some 600 people of Minorcan, Spanish, Greek, and Italian backgrounds (referred to collectively as “Minorcans”) arrived in St. Augustine, increasing the town’s population by more than 50 percent. They were refugees from a failed agricultural colony established by Alexander Turnbull at New Smyrna, in 1768.